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BRIDGEWATEE 


CENTENNIAL     CELEBRATION, 


1856. 


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CELEBRATION 


®toij-iimikfl)tlj   g^unibmarg 


INCORPORATION   OF  BRIDGEWATER, 


MASSACHUSETTS, 


At  West  Bridgewater,  June  3,  1856; 


INCLDDINQ  THE 


ADDRESS  BY   HON.  EMORY  WASHBURN,  OF  WORCESTER; 


POEM  BY  JAMES  REED,  A.B.,  OF  BOSTON; 


AND    THE    OTHER    EXERCISES    OF    THE    OCCASION. 


123!t^  an  ^pptiiDix. 
/ 


PPBLISHBD    BY    REQUEST   OF 


BOSTON: 
PRINTED   BY  JOHN  WILSON   AND   SON, 

22,  School  Street. 
1856. 


At  a  meeting  of  the  Committee  of  Arrangements,  held  this  day,  the  following 
vote  was  passed  unanimously:  — 

Voted,  That  the  thanks  of  the  Committee  be  presented  to  the  Hon.  Emoky 
Washburn  for  his  learned,  eloquent,  and  interesting  Address,  delivered  on  the 
Two-Hundredth  Aimiversary  of  the  Incorporation  of  the  Town  of  ancient  Bridge- 
water,  and  that  he  be  requested  to  furnish  us  a  copy  thereof  for  the  press. 

A  true  copy.    Attest, 

FRANKLIN   AMES,  Secretary. 
West  Uridgewater,  June  5, 1856. 


Worcester,  June  20, 1856. 

Dear  Sir, 

The  kind  terms  in  which  the  Committee  were  pleased  to  communicate 
a  request  for  a  copy  of  the  Address,  which  I  had  the  honor  to  deliver  on  the  third 
instant,  hardly  leave  me  free  to  deliberate.  If  it  can  be  a  means  of  gratifjang  any 
one,  I  do  not  feel  at  liberty  to  refuse  it,  and  therefore  hasten  to  comply  with  the 
wish  expressed  m  this  vote  of  the  fifth  instant. 

I  am.  Sir, 
Very  respectfully  your  obedient  servant, 

EMORY   WASHBURN. 

Franklin  Ames,  Esq.,  Secretary. 


CONTENTS. 


Introductory    

Officers  and  Committees 

Order  of  Procession 

Hymn  by  William  C.  Bryant,  Esq.,  of  New  York 
Address  by  Hon.  Emory  Washburn,  of  Worcester 
Poem  by  James  Reed,  A.B.,  of  Boston 
Hymn  by  Rev.  Daniel  Huntington,  of  New  London 
Welcome  Address  by  Hon.  John  A.  Shaw,  of  Bridgewater 
Remarks  by  Hon.  Ezekiel  Whitman,  of  East  Bridgewater 

„    Hon.  Lemuel  Shaw,  of  Boston    .... 

„    Hon.  Emory  Washburn,  of  Worcester     . 

„    Rev.  Ralph  Sanger,  of  Dover    .... 

,,    Hon.  George  P.  Sanger,  of  Boston    . 

„    Hon.  William  Baylies,  of  West  Bridgewater 

„    Dr.  Ebenezer  Alden,  of  Randolph  . 

„    Hon.  Aaron  Hobart,  of  East  Bridgewater    . 

„    Hon.  Seth  Sprague,  of  Duxbury 

,,    Hon.  James  M.  Keith,  of  Roxbury 


PAGE. 

9 

11 

17 

18 

20 

8.3 

97 

99 

104 

110 

116 

118 

121 

124 

126 

130 

135 

137 


VUl 


CONTENTS. 


Songs  written  by  Mr.  D.  W.  0.  Packard,  of  North  Bridgewater    .  141 

Letter  from  his  Excellency  Henry  J.  Gardner 143 

Hon.  Edward  Everett,  of  Boston    .        .       .        .       .144 

Hon.  Charles  E.  Forbes,  of  Northajvipton      .        .        .  144 

Hon.  Israel  Washburn,  Jun.,  of  Maine    ....  145 

Hon.  Elijah  Hayward,  of  Ohio 146 

Hon.  James  Savage,  of  Boston 148 

Hon.  C.  C.  Washburn,  of  Wisconsin         ....  149 
Address   to   those   who   may   celebrate   the   Third    Centennial 

Anniversary 150 


APPENDIX 


159 


BEIDGEWATER 


CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION. 


A  MEETING  of  citizens  of  the  four  Bridgewaters  * 
was  held  at  the  Town-hall  in  "West  Bridgewater, 
Feb.  2,  1856,  pursuant  to  public  notice,  to  consider 
the  expediency  of  celebrating  the  Second  Centennial 
Anniversary  of  the  Incorporation  of  the  ancient  town 
of  Bridgewater,  on  the  third  day  of  June,  1856. 
Hon.  John  A.  Shaw,  of  Bridgewater,  was  chosen 
Chairman ;  and  Franklin  Ames,  Esq.,  of  North 
Bridgewater,  Secretary. 

It  was  resolved  unanimously  to  hold  such  a  cele- 
bration at  West  Bridgewater,  where  the  first  white 
inhabitants  of  the  old  town  settled ;  and  a  Committee 
of  forty-eight  was  chosen,  consisting  of  twelve  per- 
sons from  each  of  the  Bridgewaters,  to  make  all  the 
arrangements  therefor,  and  carry  the  same  into  exe- 


*  Bridgewater  was  incorporated  June  3,  1656. 
North  Bridgewater,  June  15,  1821. 
West  Bridgewater,  February  16,  1822. 
East  Bridgewater,  June  14,  1823. 
2 


10  BRIDGEWATER 

cution.  Said  Committee  consisted  of  the  following 
persons :  — 

Jonathan  Copeland,  Albe  Howard,  Pardon  Cope- 
land,  Nahum  Leonard,  Nahnm  Snell,  Thomas  Ames, 
James  Alger,  Henry  H.  Whitman,  Joseph  Kingman, 
Austin  Packard,  Calvin  Williams,  and  Dwelley  Fobes, 
of  West  Bridgewater. 

John  A.  Shaw,  Artemas  Hale,  Philander  Leach, 
Horace  Ames,  John  Edson,  Williams  Latham,  Tho- 
mas Cushman,  David  Perkins,  Spencer  Leonard,  jun., 
Abram  Washburn,  Mitchell  Hooper,  and  Calvin  B. 
Pratt,  of  Bridgewater. 

Welcome  Young,  William  Allen,  Azor  Harris, 
James  H.  Mitchell,  Samuel  B.  Allen,  Benjamin  W. 
Harris,  Asa  Mitchell,  Aaron  Hobart,  jun.,  James 
Bates,  Nathan  Whitman,  Seth  Bryant,  and  Hector 
O.  A.  Orr,  of  East  Bridgewater. 

Eliab  Whitman,  Edward  South  worth,  jun.,  Perez 
Marshall,  Franklin  Ames,  Ellis  Packard,  Martin  L. 
Keith,  George  W.  Bryant,  Henry  W.  Robinson, 
Henry  Howard,  Isaac  Kingman,  Samuel  Dunbar,  and 
Jonas  R,  Perkins,  of  North  Bridgewater. 

It  was  decided  by  the  Committee  of  Arrangements 
to  have  an  address,  a  poem,  and  a  dinner ;  and  Austin 
Packard,  Artemas  Hale,  William  Allen,  and  Edward 
Southworth,  jun.,  were  chosen  a  Committee  to  pro- 
cure suitable  persons  to  deliver  the  address  and  poem, 
and  to  employ  the  services  of  such  clergymen  as  they 
might  think  proper. 


CENTENNIAL  CELEBRATION. 


11 


Joseph  Kingman,  Calvin  "Williams,  Henry  H. 
Whitman,  Mitchell  Hooper,  Williams  Latham, 
Calvin  B.  Pratt,  Benjamin  W.  Harris,  James  Bates, 
James  H.  Mitchell,  Ellis  Packard,  Martin  L.  Keith, 
and  George  W.  Bryant,  were  chosen  a  Committee  to 
fix  upon  a  definite  plan  of  procedure,  and  report 
at  the  adjournment  of  the  meeting. 

In  pursuance  of  the  report  of  the  last-named  Com- 
mittee, the  following  officers  were  chosen :  — 

President  of  the  Day. 
JOHN     A.     SHAW. 


Vice-Presidents. 


Nahim  Leonard. 
Jonathan  Copeland. 
Benjamin  B.  Howard. 
William  Baylies. 
Pardon  Keith. 
Artemas  Hale. 
Samuel  Leonard. 
Philip  E.  Hill. 
Holmes  Sprague. 
Solomon  Alden. 


EzEKiEL  Whitman. 
Aaron  Hobart. 
Welcome  Young. 
CusHiNG  Mitchell. 
AzoR  Harris. 
Elub  Whitman. 
Samuel  Dunbar. 

JOSIAH   W.   IClNGMAN. 

Edward  Southworth. 
Franklin  Ames. 


Treasurer. 
Austin  Packard. 

Chief  Marshal. 
Aaron  B.  Drake. 


Thomas  Ames. 
George  L.  Andrews 


Assistant  Marshals. 

I  James  Bates. 

Francis  M.  French. 


Toast-Master. 
Benjamin  W.  Harris. 


12 


Joseph  Kingman. 


dwelley  fobes. 
Robert  Perkins. 


BRIDGEWATER 

Assistant  Toast-Masters. 

I 
Da^^d  Perkins. 

Committee  of  Finance. 


George  "W.  Bryant. 


Nathan  Whitman. 
George  W.  Bryantt. 


Committee  on  Sentiments,  Invitations,  and  Beception  of  Quests. 


Austin  Packard. 
Joseph  Kingman. 
John  A.  Shaw. 
Artemas  Hale. 


William  Allen. 
Asa  Mitchell. 
Edward  Southworth,  jun. 
Jonas  R.  Perkins. 


Nahum  Snell. 
Solomon  Keith. 


Committee  on  Music. 


Ezra  Kingman. 
Ellis  Packard. 


Executive  Committee. 


Thomas  Ames. 
Henry  H.  Whitman. 
Calyin  Williams. 
George  Wilbar. 
Amasa  Howard. 


WiLLUMS  Latham. 
Calvin  B.  Pratt. 
James  H.  Mitchell. 
Seth  Bryant. 
Ellis  Packard. 


Martin  L.  Keith. 


Committee  to  print  the  Address  and  Poem,  with  a  Beport  of  the 
Celebration. 


Austin  Packard. 
Artejus  Hale. 


William  Allen. 
Franklin  Ames. 


Committee  to  prepare  an  Address  to  those  iclio  may  celebrate  the  Third 
Centennial  Anniversary. 


Joseph  Kingil\n. 
Dwelley  Fobes. 
John  A.  Shaw. 
Thomas  Cushman. 


William  Allen. 
Asa  Mitchell. 
Edward  South^n'orth,  jun. 
Paul  Couch. 


CENTENNIAL  CELEBRATION.  13 

The  Chief  Marshal  was  authorized  to  appoint  his 
aids,  and  the  Assistant  Marshals  their  aids. 

The  Executive  Committee  was  authorized  to  act 
upon  and  decide  all  matters  not  specially  assigned  to 
any  other  Committee. 

The  several  towns  appropriated  their  proportion  of 
one  thousand  dollars  towards  defraying  the  expenses 
of  the  celebration. 

And  the  Committee  on  Printing  was  directed  to 
enclose  the  various  documents,  relating  to  the  Cele- 
bration, in  a  box,  and  deposit  the  same  in  the  town- 
safe  at  Bridge  water,  for  the  use  of  those  who  may 
celebrate  the  Third  Centennial  Anniversary. 

The  ringing  of  the  bells  on  all  the  churches  in  the 
four  towns,  and  the  discharge  of  cannon,  announced 
the  dawn  of  the  Centennial  Day.  The  weather  was 
as  pleasant  as  could  be  desired,  and  a  large  number 
of  people  assembled  to  join  in  the  festivities  of  the 
occasion. 

Several  places  of  historical  note  were  appropriately 
designated,  among  which  were  the  following :  — 

"CENTRE  TREE." 

A  stone  monument  now  occupies  the  place  where 
the  Centre  Tree  formerly  stood.  It  was  long  known 
as  the  centre  of  Bridgewater,  and  was  established, 
pursuant  to  an  order  of  the  Court  at  Plymouth,  soon 


14  BRIDGEWATER 

after  the  incorporation  of  the  town.  It  is  on  the 
southerly  side  of  the  road  between  the  raih'oad  and 
the  house  of  Thomas  Hayward,  who,  with  his  ances- 
tors, has  owned  and  occupied  the  place  about  one 
hundred  and  fifty  years. 

"FLAT  ROCK." 

Rev.  James  Keith,  the  first  minister  of  Bridgewater, 
is  said  to  have  preached  his  first  sermon  on  this  rock 
in  1664.  An  anecdote  is  related  of  him,  the  narration 
of  which  may  help  explain  the  meaning  of  a  placard 
on  the  route  of  the  procession.  It  appears  that  Mini- 
ster Keith  had  a  daughter,  Mary,  who  gave  her  heart 
to  Ephraim,  son  of  John  Howard,  the  first  settler  of 
that  name.  Mary's  father  did  not  approve  of  the 
match;  notwithstanding  which,  the  lovers  were  united. 
The  displeased  clergyman  preached  a  sermon,  appro- 
priate to  the  occasion  and  to  his  feelings,  from  the 
following  text :  "  Ephraim  is  joined  to  idols  :  let  him 
alone."  (Hos.  iv.  17.)  As  time  rolled  on.  Parson 
Keith  became  reconciled  to  his  son-in-law,  and  learned 
to  love  and  respect  him.  The  parson  then  preached 
another  sermon,  and  took  for  his  text,  "  Is  Ephraim 
my  dear  son  1  is  he  a  pleasant  child  1  For,  since 
I  spake  against  him,  I  do  earnestly  remember  him 
still ;  therefore  my  bowels  are  troubled  for  him :  I 
will  surely  have  mercy  upon  him,  saith  the  Lord." 
(Jer.  xxxi.  20.) 


CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  15 


"INDIANS  HEEE  IMPOUNDED." 


According  to  Mitchell's  "  History  of  Bridgewater," 
a  number  of  Indian  prisoners  were  conveyed  into  the 
Town  Pound  on  the  night  of  Aug.  3,  1676,  and  an 
Indian  guard  set  over  them.  "  They  were  treated 
with  victuals  and  drink,  and  had  a  merry  night ;  and 
the  prisoners  laughed  as  loud  as  the  soldiers,  not  hav- 
ing been  so  well  treated  before  for  a  long  time." 


The  Green,  selected  as  the  place  of  general  rendez- 
vous, was  admirably  adapted  to  the  purpose.  It  can 
be  entered  by  five  different  roads ;  allowing  a  separate 
entrance  for  the  procession  from  each  of  the  four 
Bridgewaters,  besides  a  common  passage  out  when 
united  in  one  column.  Over  each  street  through 
which  the  processions  entered,  was  suspended  one  of 
the  following  inscriptions  :  — 

"WEST  PRECINCT."* 
"SOUTH  PRECINCT,  1716." 
"EAST  PRECINCT,  1723." 
"NORTH  PRECINCT,  1738." 

Over  the  street  through  which  the  general  proces- 
sion passed  from  the  Green,  was  erected  a  triumphal 
arch,  surmounted  by  the  American  eagle  and  flags, 
with  the  inscription,  — 

"BRIDGEWATER,  JUNE  3,  1656." 

*  The  West  Precinct,  or  Parish,  was  never  incorporated  by  any  act  of  the 
legislature,  but  succeeded  the  old  town  in  the  transaction  of  parochial  affairs.  — 
The  figures  show  when  the  other  parishes  were  incorporated. 


16  BRIDGEWATER 

In  the  centre  of  the  Green,  a  flag-staff  was  erected, 
and  a  structure  for  the  exhibition  of  antiquities. 
This  is  the  place  where  stood  the  old  meeting-house 
built  in  1731,  and  which,  for  many  years,  served  the 
double  purpose  of  a  church  and  town-house. 

The  houses  of  Jarvis  D.  Burrell,  Daniel  Chaplin, 
Isaac  Howard,  Jonas  Leonard,  and  the  store  of  Baker 
and  Williams,  fronting  the  Green,  and  the  houses  of 
Francis  Perkins,  Seneca  Folsom,  Thomas  Ames,  Ben- 
jamin Howard,  Daniel  H.  Baker,  and  others,  were 
elegantly  and  tastefully  decorated,  under  the  du'ection 
of  Col.  William  Beals,  of  Boston. 

The  inhabitants  of  each  town  assembled  at  an  early 
hour,  at  a  short  distance  from  the  Green,  and  formed 
a  procession  in  such  order  as  their  respective  Marshals 
directed. 

The  general  procession,  which  was  one  of  the  great 
features  of  the  day,  was  formed  on  the  Green,  at  ten 
o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  marched  under  the  arch, 
by  the  mills,  the  houses  of  Benjamin  Howard,  Daniel 
H.  Baker,  and  the  meeting-house,  under  the  direction 
of  the  Chief  Marshal,  escorted  by  the  North  Bridge- 
water  Light  Dragoons,  Capt.  H.  A.  Raymond,  and 
Gilmore's  Salem  Brass  Band,  occupying  about  forty 
minutes  in  passing  a  given  point,  in  the  following 
order : *  — 


*  The  procession  was  amused  in  passing  by  W.  C.  Bailey,  who  was  beating 

and  swingling  flax. 


CENTENNIAL  CELEBRATION.  17 

Aid.  Chief  ]\Iarshal.  Aid. 

President  and  Oeator  of  the  Day. 

Poet  and  Chaplains. 

Invited  Guests. 

Clergymen  of  the  Four  Bridgewaters. 

Committee    of   Arrangements. 

Vice-Presidents  of  the  Day. 


Aid.  Assistant   Marshal.  Aid. 

The  West-Bridgewater  Procession, 

Preceded  by  Flagg's  Comet  Band, 

Consisted  of  a  large  number  of  Citizens,  with  Banners,  and  the  Pupils  of  the 
Public  Schools,  with  their  Teachers. 


Aid.  Assistant  Marshal.  Aid. 

The    Bridgewater    Procession, 

Preceded  by  the  Boston  Brass  Band, 

Had  two  beautifully  painted  Banners ;  one  representing  Bridgewater  in  1656,  the 
other  in  1856.  Accompauj-ing  the  same  procession  was  a  large  Carriage,  con- 
taining a  Representation  of  a  School  in  Old  Times,  with  the  Teacher  and  her 
Pupils  in  the  dress  of  those  days.  A  gentleman  rode  on  horseback,  with  a  lady 
sitting  on  a  pillion  behind  him.  Then  came  a  Carriage  laden  with  Old  and 
Modern  Implements  of  Agriculture,  followed  by  Old  Chaises  and  other  vehi- 
cles, filled  with  people  dressed  in  the  costume  of  foi-mer  years. 


Aid.  Assistant  Marshal.  Aid. 

The  East-Bridgewater  Procession, 

Preceded  by  the  Boston  Brigade  Band, 

Comprised  a  Cavalcade  of  Citizens ;  a  Corps  of  the  Veterans  of  1812,  commanded 
by  Capt.  Ely  Blanchard  ;  a  Representation  of  the  Purchase  of  Bridgewater, 
in  1649,  by  Miles  Standish,  Samuel  Nash,  and  Constant  South  worth,  —  in  behalf 
of  the  townsmen  of  Duxbury,  and  in  the  garb  of  our  Puritan  ancestors,  —  of 
Massasoit  (or  "  Ousamequin,"  as  he  was  then  called),  in  the  perfect  costume 
of  his  tribe,  from  the  feathery  ornaments  of  the  head  to  the  decorated  mocca- 
sons  of  the  feet,  with  one  hand  resting  upon  a  gun,  and  holding  in  the  other  the 
deed  or  written  instrument  of  bargain  and  sale.  The  Scholars  of  the  District 
Schools  rode  in  carriages,  covered  with  green  boughs,  bearing  a  Banner,  in- 
scribed with,  —  "We  revere  our  Forefathers."  Another  Banner  bore  the  date 
of  "1723,"  —  the  time  when  the  East  Parish  was  incorporated. 

3 


18  BRIDGEWATER 

Aid.  Assistant  Marshal.  Aid. 

The   North-Bridgewater   Procession, 

Preceded  by  the  £rass  Band  of  that  Toxcn, 

Comprised  a  Corps  of  Soldiers  dressed  in  the  militarj'  costume  of  the  Conti- 
nentals, commanded  by  Capt.  John  Battles  ;  the  Campello  Rangers,  Capt. 
ZiBA  Keith;  the  Protector  Engine  Company,  Capt.  C.  L.  Hauthaway,  with 
their  engine  beautifully  decorated,  and  drawn  by  four  horses  ;  after  which 
came  the  Enterprise  Engine  Company  in  uniform,  and  a  large  number  of 
Citizens. 


At  twelve  o'clock,  the  general  procession  entered 
the  Pavilion,  erected  for  the  purpose  by  R.  M.  Yale, 
of  Boston,  in  a  field  on  the  easterly  side  of  the 
main  street,  between  the  houses  of  Azel  Howard  and 
William  Copeland. 

The  exercises  commenced  by  *an  Invocation  by 
Rev.  Jonas  Perkins,  of  Braintree. 

The  following  Hymn,  written  by  William  C. 
Bryant,  Esq.,  of  New  York,  was  sung  by  the 
assembled  multitude  to  the  tune  of  "Auld  Lang 
Syne: " — 

Two  hundred  times  has  June  renewed 

Her  roses,  since  the  day 
When  here,  amid  the  lonely  wood, 

Our  fathers  met  to  pray. 

Beside  this  gentle  stream,  that  strayed 

Through  pathless  deserts  then. 
The  calm,  heroic  women  prayed, 

And  grave,  undaunted  men. 


CENTENNIAL  CELEBRATION.  19 

Hymns  on  the  ancient  silence  broke 

From  hearts  that  faltered  not, 
And  undisserabling  lips  that  spoke 

The  free  and  guileless  thought. 

They  prayed,  and  thanked  the  Mighty  One 

Who  made  their  heax-ts  so  strong, 
And  led  them  towards  the  setting  sun, 

Beyond  thfi  reach  of  wrong. 

For  them  he  made  that  desert-place 

A  pleasant  heritage, — 
The  cradle  of  a  free-born  race 

From  peaceful  age  to  age. 

The  plant  they  set  —  a  little  vine  — 

Hath  stretched  its  boughs  afar 
To  distant  hills  and  streams  that  shine 

Beneath  the  evening  star. 

Ours  are  their  fields,  —  these  fields  that  smile 

With  summer's  early  flowers  : 
Oh,  let  their  fearless  scorn  of  guile, 

And  love  of  truth,  be  ours  ! 


Prayer  was  offered  by  Rev.  Paul  Couch,  of  North 
Bridgewater. 

Hon.  Emory  Washburn,  of  Worcester,  delivered 
the  following  Address  :  — 


20  BRIDGEWATER 


ADDRESS. 


We  have  come  up  hither,  to-day,  to  lay  the  offer- 
ings of  cherished  memories  and  honest  pride  upon 
altars  which  our  fathers  reared  here  in  years  that  are 
past. 

Two  centuries  have  consecrated  the  spot  by  its 
history  and  associations ;  and  we  dedicate  the  day 
to  the  reminiscences  which  this  anniversary  is  calcu- 
lated to  awaken. 

Though  there  be  little  in  the  annals  of  such  a  com- 
munity that  might  be  deemed  worthy  of  a  place  in  a 
nation's  history,  it  is  because  the  same  courage  and 
fortitude,  the  same  love  of  country,  and  the  same 
devotion  to  truth  and  humanity,  which  have  immor- 
talized heroes  and  martyrs  and  patriots  on  a  broader 
stage  of  action,  have  here  been  circumscribed  within 
a  narrower  sphere. 

Though  the  history  of  this  little  community  may 
properly  form  the  theme  of  our  reflections  on  an  anni- 
versary like  this,  we  can  neither  contemplate  the 
characters  of  its  founders,  nor  the  events  that  led  to 


CENTENNIAL  CELEBRATION.  21 

the  planting  of  this  offshoot  from  the  original  colony, 
without  recalling  the  men  and  the  circumstances  by 
which  that  colony  itself  was  planted. 

It  cannot,  however,  be  necessary,  before  this 
audience,  to  tell  who  and  what  were  the  Pilgrims  who 
founded  the  Plymouth  colony. 

You  know  them;  the  world  knows  them;  and 
their  names  will  not  perish  till  this  wide  continent 
I  itself  shall  have  passed  away.  And  standing,  as  we 
do,  upon  a  spot  which  was  witness  to  some  of  their 
struggles,  and  whose  occupancy  was  among  the  early 
fruits  of  their  triumph  over  the  difficulties  that 
surrounded  them,  the  memory  goes  back  instinctively 
to  that  train  of  events  which  was  crowned  by  the 
planting  of  a  colony  of  free  and  enlightened  English- 
men on  the  shores  of  New  England. 

Bear  with  me,  therefore,  while  I  attempt  to  recall 
some  of  the  circumstances  which  were  connected  with 
that  system  of  training,  and  that  sequence  of  events, 
which,  in  the  order  of  Providence,  made  the  founders 
of  Plymouth  the  instruments  of  a  social  and  political 
revolution  more  important  in  its  consequences  than 
any  other  that  the  world  ever  witnessed. 

The  world  had,  for  centuries,  exhibited  the  social 
antagonism  of  weakness  and  endurance  on  the  part  of 
the  masses,  and  of  arrogance  and  oppression  on  the 
part  of  their  rulers,  relieved,  occasionally  only,  by 
the  rise  of  some  little  republic,  or  the  violent  over- 
throw of  some  ancient  dynasty. 


22  BRIDGEWATER 

But  neither  in  the  political  condition  of  the  nations 
of  the  Old  World,  nor  the  extent  of  knowledge  diffused 
among  the  masses,  was  there  any  well-grounded  hope 
of  any  thing  like  a  radical  reform.  Old  notions,  old 
habits,  old  prejudices,  and  old  institutions,  had  ob- 
tained such  possession  of  the  popular  mind  in  the  Old 
World,  that,  to  human  calculation,  it  seemed  impos- 
sible to  lift  the  weight  that  was  pressing  it  down. 

If  the  light  at  any  time  dawned  on  any  favored 
spot,  every  ray  was  soon  absorbed  and  extinguished 
by  the  thick  and  impenetrable  darkness  by  which 
it  was  surrounded;  and  the  world  had  for  a  long 
time  waited  for  some  great  movement  to  arouse  the 
masses  to  something  like  a  common  purpose,  when 
the  Reformation  broke  the  spell  which  bigotry  and 
superstition  had  thrown  over  the  human  mind. 

But  there  was  danger  that  even  this  great  move- 
ment would  exhaust  itself  and  subside.  The  excite- 
ment arising  from  the  novelty  of  its  views  had  passed 
away;  the  force  of  old  habits  and  associations  was 
already  beginning  to  be  manifested  in  a  returning 
attachment  to  forms,  and  a  growing  reverence  for  the 
pomp  and  ceremony  of  a  ritual  that  had  so  long  daz- 
zled the  senses  of  a  superstitious  multitude. 

The  leading  spirits  in  that  revolution  had,  one  after 
the  other,  gone  to  their  reward.  Wickliff  and  Huss 
and  Luther  and  Zwingli  and  Knox  and  Calvin  had 
each  done  a  noble  work  towards  the  religious  emanci- 
pation of  Christendom;  but  the  spirit  of  trade  and 


CENTENNIAL  CELEBRATION.  23 

commerce,  the  love  of  ease  and  the  possession  of 
power,  had  begun  to  distract  the  counsels  and  subdue 
the  zeal  of  those  to  whom  had  been  intrusted  the 
completion  of  the  work.  Even  in  England,  the  strong- 
hold of  the  Reformation,  the  punctilios  of  ceremony, 
the  vestments  of  the  clergy,  and  the  ritual  of  the 
church,  had  usurped  that  place  in  the  public  mind 
which  the  true  spirit  of  Protestantism  had  assigned 
only  to  the  truths  and  mysteries  of  our  holy  religion. 

Between  the  intolerance  of  the  Roman  pontiff  and 
the  scarcely  less  intolerant  Catholicism  of  the  head 
of  the  Protestant  English  church,  Protestantism 
was  in  danger  of  being  crushed  for  ever.  Power  was 
against  it ;  the  passions  of  the  human  heart  were 
against  it ;  worldly  ambition  was  against  it ;  and  the 
traditions  of  the  past,  as  well  as  the  love  of  present 
ease  and  comfort,  were  against  it ;  and  in  few  spots 
in  the  Old  World  was  there  any  thing  like  a  free  play 
of  the  human  reason  to  be  found. 

As  we  now  look  at  the  subject,  from  this  point  of 
view,  one  place  of  refuge  only  presents  itself,  where 
the  faith  of  the  reformers  may  be  safe  ;  and  that  is  the 
untrodden  wilderness  of  the  New  World.  There, 
away  from  the  seductions  of  worldly  power  and 
worldly  honors,  beyond  the  empire  of  fashion  and  of 
rituals,  with  a  field  open  and  free  for  culture.  Truth 
may  strike  its  roots  deep  into  a  friendly  soil,  and 
spring  up  in  vigor  and  beauty  to  bear  the  fruit  of 
free  institutions. 


24  BRIDGEWATER 

But  place  was  not  the  only  circumstance  concerned 
in  the  preservation  and  development  of  great  princi- 
ples like  those  of  the  Reformation.  Nor  was  it  mere 
freedom  in  matters  of  conscience  to  which  that  move- 
ment tended.  Though  it  came  in  the  form  of  inde- 
pendence in  religious  opinions,  its  scope  embraced 
civil  as  well  as  religious  liberty,  and  depended  for  its 
ultimate  success  upon  the  character  of  its  actors,  and 
the  opportunity  they  enjoyed  for  the  exercise  of  the 
powers  they  possessed. 

And,  as  we  contemplate  this  subject  more  in  detail, 
we  perceive,  that,  in  order  to  plant  a  colony  which 
should  stand  by  its  own  strength,  and  grow  by  its 
own  inherent  energy,  it  must  be  made  of  sterner  stuff, 
and  be  actuated  by  higher  motives,  than  any  that  had 
hitherto  been  attempted  in  the  northern  parts  of 
America. 

Enterprise  after  enterprise  had  failed,  although 
fostered  and  encouraged  by  royal  favor  or  the  patron- 
age of  the  great.  Cartier  and  Roberval  had  aban- 
doned their  efforts  to  colonize  Canada,  while  sustained 
by  the  prestige  and  the  power  of  the  monarch  of 
France.  The  settlers  at  Sagadahoc,  though  patronized 
and  encouraged  by  Popham,  the  Lord  Chief  Justice  of 
England,  after  the  experience  of  a  single  winter,  had 
gone  back  to  England,  defeated  and  disheartened. 
Gosnold,  under  the  favor  of  the  Earl  of  Southampton, 
had  begun  an  experiment,  which,  after  a  few  months, 
he   had  ingloriously  given  up,   even  before  he  had 


CENTENNIAL  CELEBRATION.  25 

encountered  the  rigors  of  the  climate  or  the  discom- 
forts of  the  emigrant. 

Smith  had  explored,  and  given  the  attractive  name 
of  "  New  England  "  to,  this  portion  of  the  continent ; 
but  the  men  who  should  plant  it,  who  should  open 
its  rugged  soil  to  the  sun,  and  fit  it  for  the  habitations 
of  civilized  life,  were  yet  to  be  found.  If  they  were 
not  yet  to  be  created,  they  had  not  yet  been  educated 
or  trained  for  such  a  work  as  this.  There  were  for 
the  work  certain  qualifications  which  were  essential 
to  success ;  and  even  these,  without  a  proper  course 
of  training,  would  be  found  inadequate  for  its  accom- 
plishment. 

Nor  are  we  at  a  loss  to  judge  from  what  nation, 
and  from  what  race,  the  founders  of  such  a  colony 
must  come. 

For  centuries,  the  Briton,  the  Roman,  the  Saxon, 
and  the  Norman,  had  been  mingling  and  blending 
into  what  we  call  the  Anglo-Saxon  race,  the  traits  of 
whose  character  are  still  being  manifested  in  the 
onward  march  towards  universal  empire.  If  we  ana- 
lyze that  character,  it  will  be  found  to  embrace  the 
very  elements  the  most  needed  in  a  work  like  that 
which  we  now  know  the  founders  of  Plymouth  colony 
had  before  them. 

Promptness  in  devising  plans,  combined  with  a 
dogged  perseverance  in  their  execution ;  calmness  in 
judgment,  kept  in  vigorous  action  by  the  stimulus  of 
self-love,  and  ambition  for  power,  —  were  some  of  the 


26  BRIDGEWATER 

characteristics  of  that  race,  whose  political  wisdom, 
inexhaustible  resources,  and  warlike  prowess,  have 
filled  so  important  a  page  in  the  history  of  na- 
tions. 

But  something  more  even  than  this  was  wanted. 
These  national  traits  of  character  required  to  be 
warmed  into  enthusiasm.  It  wanted  that  that  spark 
of  liberty,  which,  though  but  a  spark,  had  been  kept 
alive  from  the  time  of  the  old  Saxon  heptarchy, 
should  be  fanned  into  a  flame,  till  every  part  of  the 
body  politic  should  be  warmed  and  animated  with  a 
common  and  generous  glow  of  sympathy. 

The  Reformation  had  done  much  to  awaken  this 
train  of  thought  and  feeling.  But  it  remained  for 
the  Puritans  of  England  to  accomplish  what  the 
Reformation  had  begun. 

To  their  eye,  earthly  honors  were  as  nothing  to  the 
crown  of  glory  that  awaited  them  beyond  the  grave  ; 
and  the  world's  treasures  were  poor  in  the  light  of 
that  inheritance  which  awaited  the  saints  who  should 
persevere  to  the  end.  They  read,  in  their  Bibles,  of 
the  common  origin  and  common  destiny  of  their  race ; 
and  they  stood  up  erect  before  thrones  and  rulers, 
spurning  alike  the  civil  despot,  and  the  tyranny  of 
the  hierarch  that  denied  to  them  the  pure  and  simple 
worship  which  their  hearts  craved  and  their  con- 
sciences dictated. 

Nor  was  this  all  that  was  needed  to  establish  a 
community,  without  a  charter  to  unite  or  royal  bounty 


CENTENNIAL  CELEBRATION.  27 

to  foster  it,  —  a  colony  planted  in  the  desert,  and 
left  to  pitiless  storms  and  scorching  suns,  to  thrive, 
if  at  all,  by  its  own  vital,  seminal  principle. 

For  such  a  community,  there  must  be  a  singleness 
of  purpose,  a  homogeneity  of  character  and  views  and 
feelings,  amongst  its  members,  rarely,  if  ever,  before 
attained  by  any  considerable  body  of  men.  Without 
these,  their  union  would  be  like  the  sands  upon  which 
it  was  to  be  planted,  —  scattered  by  the  first  gust  of 
dissension,  and  swept  away  by  the  first  storm  that 
fell  upon  it. 

The  process  by  which  this  state  of  feeling  was  to 
be  attained  was,  like  all  the  great  measures  of  Provi- 
dence, simple,  and,  in  the  end,  clear  and  intelli- 
gible. 

With  England  as  it  then  was,  the  idea  of  bringing 
the  minds  of  men  in  difierent  parts  of  the  kingdom 
into  sufficient  harmony  to  carry  forward  such  an 
enterprise  would  have  been  little  better  than  an  idle 
dream.  The  historians  of  England  have  told  us  of 
the  condition  of  that  country  at  that  time.  They  had 
no  means  of  creating,  or  keeping  alive,  a  public  sen- 
timent. Books  were  scarce  and  costly,  and  read  by 
comparatively  few.  Newspapers  they  had  none ;  and 
even  the  intercourse  by  post  was  only  along  a  few 
principal  lines  of  communication,  in  its  slow  progress, 
and  at  infrequent  periods.  And  York  was  scarcely 
nearer  to  London  than  we  are ;  and  Devonshire  and 
Lincoln  were,  as  communities,  as  much  strangers  to 


28  BRIDGEWATER 

each   other   as    Edinburgh    is  now  to   Paris  or  Os- 
tend. 

Where,  then,  are  we  to  look  for  such  a  community 
as  should  furnish  the  school  in  which  to  train  the 
men  and  women  who  were  to  plant  New  Eng- 
land ? 

Bear  in  mind,  that  to  do  this  required  them  to  go 
forth  into  the  wilderness,  to  give  up  the  comforts  of 
civilized  life,  and  that  they  are  there  to  rear  a  Chris- 
tian commonwealth,  without  any  guide  or  chart  to 
direct  them  save  the  dictates  of  conscience  and  an 
enlightened  common  sense.  And  we  may  readily 
perceive  that  the  place  for  training  such  men  is  not 
amongst  the  luxuries  of  the  city,  the  busy  haunts  of 
trade  or  commerce ;  but  away  from  these,  among  the 
rural  homes  of  England,  and  removed,  as  far  as 
might  be,  from  the  parasites  of  power. 

And  as  we  recall  the  history  of  the  men,  who,  in 
fact,  founded  Plymouth,  we  find  that  it  was  in 
precisely  such  a  region  as  this  that  God  in  his  pro- 
vidence gathered  that  little  church,  under  Kobinson 
and  Brewster,  which  was  to  form  the  nucleus  of  a 
mighty  nation  of  freemen. 

Upon  the  confines  of  Nottingham,  York,  and  Lin- 
coln, amidst  a  population  purely  agricultural,  within 
the  Hundred  of  Basset-Lawe,  lay  the  little  village  of 
Scrooby.  So  obscure  has  it  been,  and  so  little  known 
to  history,  that  its  very  name,  till  recently,  had  well- 
nigh  been  forgotten.     Yet  there,  within  that  seques- 


CENTENNIAL  CELEBRATION.  29 

tered  village,  did  that  little  band  of  Separatists  come 
together  to  worship  God,  and  keep  alive  each  other's 
faith  and  courage.  Its  name  can  scarcely  be  deci- 
phered on  the  map  of  England.  The  manor-house  in 
which  Brewster  dwelt,  and  within  which  they  met, 
has  long  since  disappeared.  The  traveller,  for  two 
hundred  years,  has  passed  by  the  spot,  unconscious 
that  it  possessed  any  thing  of  historical  interest. 
Nor  was  it  till  a  few  years  since,  that  the  devoted  zeal 
of  an  English  antiquary  for  the  memory  of  the  Pil- 
grims traced  up  to  this,  its  fountainhead,  the  little 
wellspring  of  the  Plymouth  colony. 

But  as  we  contemplate  the  spot,  the  men,  the 
motive,  and  the  result,  we  find  that  it  needs  no  effort 
of  the  imagination,  no  conception  of  classic  fable,  to 
give  dignity  or  interest  to  its  story.  It  was  there  that 
the  process  of  union  and  assimilation  was  begun ;  it 
was  there  that  the  men  who  were  to  form  one  homo- 
geneous body,  in  order  to  achieve  success,  were  trained 
in  the  school  of  adversity.  The  tie  that  bound  them 
was  the  sympathy  of  a  common  nature,  animated  by 
a  common  hope,  involved  in  a  common  destiny,  and 
kept  in  harmonious  action  by  the  pressure  of  a  com- 
mon danger. 

But  though  the  men  had  been  found;  though, 
amidst  the  dangers  by  which  they  were  surrounded,  a 
place  of  comparative  safety  had  been  provided  for 
meeting  and  for  counsel,  —  the  time  for  action  had 
not  yet  arrived.     Some  more  searching  test  of  courage 


30  BRIDGEWATER 

and  fidelity  was  yet  to  be  applied.  And  the  next 
step  in  the  sequence  of  events  was  their  act  of  self- 
banishment.  They  were  at  last  forced  to  fly  from 
the  fire  of  persecution  which  was  besetting  them  on 
every  side,  and,  in  sorrow  and  desolation,  sought  a 
refuge,  from  the  ruthless  ferocity  of  their  own  coun- 
trymen, upon  the  friendly  shores  of  Protestant,  pros- 
perous Holland. 

This,  it  will  be  remembered,  was  in  the  year 
1608. 

Were  we  to  stop  here,  and,  ignorant  of  the  fate  of 
these  fugitives  from  their  homes,  were  we  now  to 
open  the  page  of  history  for  the  fi.rst  time,  should  we 
not  expect  to  read  how  that  little  band,  one  after  the 
other,  were  swallowed  up  in  the  populous  sea  into 
which  they  had  thrown  themselves  ?  Trade,  com- 
merce, prosperous  industry,  worldly  ease,  and  an 
untrammelled  exercise  of  their  own  forms  of  wor- 
ship, were  busy  in  quenching  that  fire  of  enthusiasm 
which  nerved  them  to  meet  a  hostile  persecution. 

Their  children  must  grow  up  among  strangers,  and 
gradually  lose  their  mother  tongue,  till,  by  every  law 
of  human  calculation,  long  before  even  the  first  cen- 
tury had  closed  over  that  community  of  English 
Protestants  and  Separatists,  they  had  been  merged 
into  respectable,  prosperous,  nationalized  men  of 
Holland. 

But,  if  we  open  that  volume  of  history  at  the  end 
of  eleven  years,  we  find  that  they  have  indeed  passed 


CENTENNIAL  CELEBRATION.  31 

through  this  ordeal,  —  ten  times  more  trying  than 
the  fines  and  stripes  and  prisons  from  which  they  had 
escaped  in  England ;  and  they  have  come  out  un- 
scathed. They  have  been  tried  by  the  temptations  and 
fascinations  of  the  world ;  but  they  are  the  same  little 
church,  not  of  the  lonely  rural  hamlet  of  Scrooby,  but 
the  worldly,  populous  city  of  Leyden.  And  Robin- 
son is  there ;  and  Winslow  has  joined  them ;  and 
Bradford  is  working  at  his  trade  there ;  and  Brewster 
is  there  to  keep  alive  the  spirit  which  had  animated 
them  when  his  roof  was  their  only  shelter.  But  they 
saw  the  dangers  that  surrounded  them  as  we  now  see 
them,  —  the  dangers  of  that  very  safety  and  prosperity 
which  they  had  sought  by  flight;  and  they  were 
ready  to  go  forth  again,  into  the  only  refuge  which 
was  left  for  them,  —  the  wilderness  of  America. 

There  they  may  build  their  own  altars,  and  worship 
in  their  own  language ;  there  may  they  rear  their 
children,  away  from  the  world's  delusive  temptations, 
and  hope,  that,  when  they  shall  be  gathered  to  their 
fathers,  the  faith  for  which  they  have  suffered  will  still 
be  kept  pure  in  the  sanctuary  of  a  free  church. 

But,  though  thus  trained  by  this  long  discipline, 
there  was  yet  one  more  step  in  the  process  of  prepa- 
ration to  be  taken,  before  their  final  exodus.  In  the 
language  of  a  writer  of  that  day,  "  the  wheat  had  yet 
to  be  winnowed,"  that  none  but  the  sound  and  ripe 
and  fitting  grain  should  be  employed  to  plant  the  vir- 
gin soil  of  New  England. 


32  BRIDGEWATER 

Let  US  bear  in  mind,  that,  thougli  unconsciously  to 
themselves,  those  who  were  to  engage  in  that  enter- 
prise were  to  constitute  a  Body  Politic,  as  well  as  a 
Christian  church,  in  the  management  of  whose  affairs 
qualities  of  a  high  and  varied  character  were  to  be 
required.  Mere  piety,  and  a  spirit  of  devotion,  were 
not  enough.  They  w^ere  to  encounter  danger;  and 
they  needed  the  heroism  as  well  as  the  trained  valor 
of  the  soldier.  They  were  to  frame  and  administer  a 
form  of  government,  till  then  new  and  untried ;  and 
they  must  have  political  sagacity,  legislative  wisdom, 
and  executive  talent.  The  forest  was  to  be  subdued, 
a  hardy  soil  to  be  brought  into  cultivation,  and  the 
bays  and  shallows  of  the  ocean  to  be  sounded  by 
the  lines  of  the  fisherman ;  and  they  must  have 
rugged  hands  for  toil,  as  well  as  wise  heads  for  coun- 
sel. And,  above  all,  they  needed  that  which  gave 
to  their  English  homes  their  chief  charm,  to  sustain 
their  courage,  and  to  cheer  them  in  their  labors,  — 
the  untiring  devotion,  the  kind  assiduities,  and  the 
hopeful  fortitude  of  woman ;  and,  without  these,  they 
would  have  failed,  as  other  colonies  had  done  before 
them. 

I  pass  over  the  sad  parting  at  Delft  Haven.  I 
stop  not  to  speak  of  the  "  Speedwell,"  abandoned,  at 
last,  as  hopelessly  unseaw^orthy.  I  follow  the  track  of 
the  lonely  "  Mayflower,"  freighted,  as  she  is,  with  the 
destinies  of  this  Western  World.  I  look  in  upon  her 
crowded  cabin,  as  she  goes  pitching  and  laboring  on 


CENTENNIAL  CELEBRATION.  33 

in  her  solitary  way  across  the  stormy  ocean ;  and,  at 
length,  I  listen  to  the  voice  of  thanksgiving  that  goes 
up  from  the  patient,  tempest-tost,  betrayed,  yet  hope- 
ful group  that  crowd  her  deck,  as  they  look  out  for 
the  first  time  upon  the  sands  of  Cape  Cod,  on  the 
11th  of  November,  1620.  And,  regarding  them  in 
the  unerring  light  of  history,  let  me  ask,  if,  among 
that  hundred  souls,  there  be  not  the  very  elements 
that  are  requisite  to  accomplish  the  work  they  have 
undertaken'?     Which  of  these  are  wanting] 

There  is  the  pious  Brewster,  still  true  and  faithful 
to  his  little  flock ;  there  is  the  brave  old  Carver,  and 
there  the  wise  and  prudent  Bradford,  the  accomplished 
and  courteous  Winslow,  and  the  gallant,  chivalrous 
Standish.  And  there,  too,  is  the  sobered  matron, 
with  a  mother's  cares ;  the  young  and  hopeful  wife, 
and  the  blushing  maiden.  And  there  are  White  and 
Allerton  and  Aldeii  and  Warren,  and  those  other 
names  that  have  become  household  words  in  these 
homes  of  the  Pilgrims.  They  are  all  there ;  and,  as 
you  look  over  that  roll,  tell  me,  is  not  the  work  in 
which  Providence  has  been  engaged,  through  the 
changes  and  revolutions  of  more  than  a  century,  about 
to  be  consummated  ?  The  tried  men  have  been  found 
at  last ;  the  ties  that  bound  them  to  Old  England 
have  been  severed ;  and  the  ship  that  bore  them  from 
her  shores  has  let  go  her  anchor  upon  the  soil  of 
New  England. 

The  value  of  that   disciplinary  training   through 


34  BRIDGEWATER 

which  they  had  passed  was  tested  before  they  had 
even  set  foot  upon  that  soil.  They  found  themselves 
beyond  the  limits  of  their  charter,  and,  without  a 
government,  thrown  homeless  on  a  wintry  coast, 
beyond  the  reach  or  the  protection  of  any  law. 

But  not  a  murmur  is  heard,  not  a  thought  of 
license  or  insubordination  is  cherished.  Unknown  to 
them.  Providence  had  designed,  through  them, 
to  demonstrate  the  capacity  of  man  for  self-govern- 
ment; and,  in  the  very  cabin  of  the  "Mayflower," 
that  solemn,  memorable  compact  was  entered  into, 
which  stands  out  upon  the  page  of  history  as  the  first 
free  civil  compact  of  government  that  the  world  had 
ever  witnessed. 

Brief,  however,  as  is  that  paper,  and  simple  and 
earnest  as  is  its  language,  how  noble  was  its  concep- 
tion !  —  the  germ  of  a  free,  democratic  State,  the  first 
development  of  that  grand  idea  of  political  equality 
which  has  spread  out  over  this  vast  continent  its 
busy,  prosperous  millions  of  freemen,  and  has  been 
moving  the  nations  of  Europe  as  with  an  earthquake's 
power. 

But,  in  attempting  to  do  justice  to  history,  let  me 
not  do  injustice  to  the  true  grandeur  of  the  Pilgrim 
character.  No  one  pretends  they  came  here  to  pro- 
claim an  abstract  theory  of  government,  or  to  record 
their  names  upon  a  roll  of  parchment,  in  the  fanciful 
hope  of  their  being  read  by  coming  generations. 
They  came  here  for  other   and   difl"erent   purposes  ; 


CENTENNIAL  CELEBRATION.  35 

and  the  adoption  of  the  framework  of  civil  govern- 
ment in  the  harbor  of  Cape  Cod  was  but  one  of  the 
series  of  acts  and  events  which  illustrate  what  I  have 
so  often  repeated,  —  the  perfection  of  that  discipline 
to  which  they  had  been  subjected.  No  emergency 
found  them  unprepared ;  no  vicissitude  of  fortune  dis- 
comforted or  disturbed  them.  It  was  the  promptitude 
of  the  accomplished  general,  never  surprised,  never 
off  his  guard,  and  coolly  meeting,  amidst  the  very  din 
of  battle,  the  shifting  and  changing  fortunes  of  the 
day.  It  was  the  practised  eye  and  quick  intelligence 
of  the  experienced  helmsman  in  the  storm,  the  calm 
self-possession  and  keen  sagacity  of  the  wise  states- 
man when  the  affairs  of  state  press  most  heavily  upon 
him. 

But,  in  the  case  of  the  Pilgrims,  instead  of  sub- 
mitting, as  a  body,  to  the  guidance  and  control  of 
some  master-spirit,  each  felt  a  share  of  a  common 
responsibility,  and  submitted  his  own  will  to  that 
of  the  whole  body ;  so  that,  whatever  measures  they 
adopted,  they  were  the  result  of  the  combined  judg- 
ment and  good  sense  of  the  whole  number.  And,  in 
this  way,  they  not  only  planted  a  free  church  in  a  free 
state,  but  developed  the  germ  of  that  New-England 
—  may  I  not  say  Yankee  ?  —  character,  which,  in  its 
vitalizing  influence,  was  felt  in  every  colony  and  town 
and  household  that  grew  up  on  its  rugged  soil,  — 
that  character,  which,  in  the  long  struggle  with  the 
mother  country  in  after-years,  so  often  supplied  the 


36  BRIDGEWATER 

place  of  an  organized  government ;  providing  in  their 
destitution  the  sinews  of  war,  and  crowning  the  work 
at  last  with  a  free  constitution. 

But  I  am  anticipating. 

The  adoption  of  this  simple  form  of  government 
was  completed  by  the  election  of  Carver  as  their 
governor;  and,  without  misgiving  or  delay,  they  set 
about  selecting  a  place  for  the  seat  of  their  little  com- 
monwealth. And  here,  again,  the  hand  of  Providence 
was  manifest,  in  having  thrown  them  upon  a  part  of 
the  coast  which  a  pestilence  had  nearly  depopulated, 
leaving  it  literally  vacant  for  the  occupation  of  the 
new-comers. 

After  one  month's  exploration,  urged  on  by  the  rapid 
approach  of  winter,  —  for  snow  had  already  begun  to 
fall,  —  they  discovered  a  spot  which  the  historian 
informs  us  "  they  supposed  fit  for  situation :  at  least, 
it  was  the  best  they  could  find ;  and  the  season  and 
their  present  necessity  made  them  glad  to  accept  it." 
That  spot  has  become  the  shrine  to  which  the  modern 
pilgrim  turns  his  footstep ;  and  "  Forefathers'  Day  " 
is  the  holiest  in  New  England's  calendar. 

Will  it  be  said  that  I  have  dwelt  too  long  upon 
the  character  of  the  men  and  women  who  braved  the 
horrors  of  that  first  dreadful  w^inter,  and  literally 
made  that  spot  holy  ground  by  the  prayers  with  which 
it  was  consecrated,  and  the  memory  of  the  dead  whose 
ashes  were  mingled  with  its  till  then  unbroken  soil  ? 
There  is  nothing  alien  or  far-fetched  in  the  sketch,  if 


CENTENNIAL  CELEBRATION.  37 

we  apply  it  to  the  character  of  the  founders  of  Bridge- 
water.  If  none  of  the  "  first-comers  "  actually  removed 
to  this  spot,  three  of  them  were  among  the  original 
men  of  Duxbury  to  whom  the  township  was  granted. 
Three  of  the  thirty-five  who  came  in  the  "  Fortune," 
the  first  vessel  that  arrived  after  the  departure  of  the 
"  Mayflower,"  are  found  among  these  proprietors ;  and 
one  who  came  in  the  third  vessel,  the  "Anne,"  in  1623. 
So  that  the  founders  of  Bridgewater  were  so  far  asso- 
ciated and  identified  with  the  "  old-comers,"  or  "  fore- 
fathers "  of  the  colony,  that,  in  speaking  of  the  charac- 
teristics of  the  one,  we,  in  effect,  are  but  doing  justice 
to  the  other.  Many  of  them,  moreover,  are  supposed  to 
have  come  over  from  Leyden  within  the  first  ten  years 
of  the  colony ;  and  when,  at  last,  they  settled  this  fron- 
tier plantation,  they  did  little  more  than  transfer  to  a 
new  locality  the  wisdom  they  had  been  taught  in  the 
rugged  experience  through  which  they  had  passed, 
the  love  of  civil  and  spiritual  liberty  which  had  exiled 
them  from  their  English  homes,  and  the  laws  and 
infant  institutions  which  had  grown  out  of  their  con- 
dition as  colonists. 

We,  therefore,  cannot  do  justice  to  them  or  the 
occasion,  without  referring  to  some  of  the  measures 
of  government  and  police  which  the  founders  of 
the  colony  adopted  for  the  promotion  of  its  inte- 
rests. There  is  a  spirit,  pervading  them  all,  which 
seems  never  to  have  been  lost  sight  of;  and  that  is 
the  personal  security,  the  equal  protection,  and  the 


38  BRIDGEWATER 

practical  independence,  of  those  who  were  admitted  to 
the  rights  of  freemen.  Their  rulers  were  elected  by 
a  popular  vote.  The  whole  body  of  freemen,  for 
eighteen  years,  united  in  making  their  own  laws,  and, 
at  last,  only  substituted  delegates  elected  for  the  pur- 
pose because  they  had  become  too  numerous  to  act 
collectively. 

The  laws  they  enacted,  though  we  may  smile  at 
some  of  them,  cannot  now  be  read  without  pride  and 
admiration.  The  true  character  of  their  early  legis- 
lation and  institutions  will  be  better  appreciated 
when  the  work  of  publication  shall  be  accomplished 
in  which  such  able  hands  are  now  employed,  which  is 
to  place  within  the  reach  of  every  one  a  complete 
record  of  the  Plymouth  and  Massachusetts  colonies. 
But  it  would  more  than  serve  my  purpose,  if  I  could 
take  that  volume,  known  as  the  "  Plymouth  Laws," 
which  was  published  by  our  Legislature  in  1836,  and 
present  them,  one  by  one,  to  your  attention.  I  would 
ask  you  to  remark  their  fitness  for  the  condition 
under  which  the  colonists  found  themselves,  to  what 
extent  they  borrowed  some  of  the  best  provisions  of 
law  under  which  they  had  been  bred,  and  with  what 
wisdom  and  foresight  they  laid  deep  the  foundations 
of  a  free  State.  It  should  be  remembered,  that  the 
first  satisfactory  chapter  they  had  been  able  to  obtain 
was  in  1629.  At  that  time,  in  the  language  of  that 
charter,  "  by  the  special  providence  of  God,  and  their 
extraordinary  care  and  industry,  they  had  increased 


CENTENNIAL  CELEBRATION.  39 

their  plantation  to  near  three  hundred  people;  and 
were,  on  occasions,  able  to  relieve  any  planters,  or 
others  of  his  majesty's  subjects,  who  might  fall  upon 
that  coast." 

During  this  period,  the  compact  of  the  "  May- 
flower "  had  been  the  basis  of  their  popular  form  of 
government ;  but  they  never  seem  to  have  forgot  that 
which  was  due  to  the  character  and  self-respect  of 
freemen.  The  settlement  of  Plymouth,  in  the  cant 
phrase  of  the  present  day,  was  an  exercise  of  "  squat- 
ter sovereignty  "  which  needs  no  popular  harangue  or 
partisan  press  to  dignify  or  defend.  It  was  to  create 
a  new  home  for  freedom ;  it  was  to  plant  on  that 
soil  institutions  whose  growth  should  root  out  and 
overtop  every  baleful  parasite  like  Slavery,  that 
weakens  and  wastes  the  stock  upon  which  it  fastens 
and  feeds. 

I  open,  then,  that  volume ;  and  the  first  legislative 
act  on  which  the  eye  rests  is  "  that  criminal  facts,  and 
all  matters  of  trespasses  and  debts  between  man 
and  man,  shall  be  tried  by  twelve  honest  men,  impa- 
nelled by  authority,  in  form  of  a  jury,  upon  their 
oaths."  When  we  remember  with  what  tenacity  the 
people  of  England  had  always  clung  to  this  relic  of 
Saxon  liberty,  through  all  the  vicissitudes  of  tyranny 
and  oppression  through  which  they  had  passed,  trial 
by  jury  cannot,  indeed,  be  claimed  as  a  new  discovery 
in  political  science.  But  that  it  should  be  so  early 
declared,  and  be  made,  as  it  were,  one  of  the  very 


40  BRIDGEWATER 

foundation-stones  of  their  political  fabric,  serves  to 
show,  that,  next  to  their  duty  to  God,  the  duty  of 
guarding  the  rights  of  their  fellow-men  lay  nearest 
their  hearts. 

Of  some  of  their  laws,  indeed,  the  progress  of  the 
age  has  superseded  the  necessity.  And  when  we 
recall  the  scramble  there  is  for  office,  high  or  low, 
and  how  greatly  the  number  of  candidates  exceed  the 
places  that  are  to  be  filled,  we  may  be  pardoned  a 
smile  when  we  read,  "  If\  now  or  hereafter^  any  are 
elected  to  the  office  of  governor^  and  ivill  not  stand  to  the 
election,  nor  hold  nor  execute  the  office  for  his  year,  that 
then  he  shall  he  amerced  in  twenty  pounds  fine." 

Alas !  how  empty  would  be  that  treasury,  in  our 
day,  that  had  no  other  source  of  supply  than  the 
fines  that  should  be  paid  by  those  who  "  will  not 
stand  to  the  election,"  be  the  office  what  it  may ! 
Unfortunately  for  the  profit  of  the  thing,  our  modern 
Carvers  and  Bradfords  need  no  such  stimulus  to  their 
patriotism  as  a  penalty  of  twenty  pounds  for  refusing 
to  serve  their  country. 

I  might,  if  time  permitted,  ask  you  to  look  at  the 
laws  they  enacted  for  the  management  of  the  economi- 
cal interests  of  the  colony,  —  the  maintenance  of 
highways  as  a  public  charge,  the  establishment 
of  public  registries  of  deeds,  and  various  other  mea- 
sures, which  have  become  so  familiar  from  use  that 
we  forget  the  credit  which  is  due  to  the  wisdom  that 
devised  them. 


CENTENNIAL  CELEBRATION.  41 

Were  we  to  pursue  our  investigations,  we  might 
discover  how  early  that  system  of  legislation  began 
to  be  adopted,  which  seeks,  by  penal  enactments,  to 
extirpate  bad  personal  habits,  while  the  tastes  and 
passions  and  propensities  that  generate  these  habits 
are  in  their  full  vigor. 

Among  these  is  one  against  the  "  great  abuse  of 
taking  tobacco,  in  a  very  uncivil  manner,  openly  in 
the  town-streets,  and  as  men  pass  upon  the  highways, 
and  also  in  the  fields,  or  as  men  are  at  work  in  the 
woods  and  fields,  to  the  neglect  of  their  labors,  and 
the  great  reproach  of  this  government.''  But  I  greatly 
fear  that  this  "  Maine  Law "  against  a  filthy  habit 
soon  fell  dead  upon  the  statute-book ;  and  that  the 
world  will  go  on  smoking,  in  defiance  alike  of  royal 
counterblasts  and  Puritan  legislation,  of  soiled  carpets 
and  domestic  discomfort. 

There  is  another  class  of  laws  standing  upon  the 
statute-book  of  Plymouth  colony,  which,  in  justice  to 
the  men  of  that  day,  ought  not  to  be  passed  over  in 
silence ;  and  that  is  the  laws  under  which  what  are 
there  called  "Quaker  Ranters  or  other  notoriouse 
heritiques,"  including  such  men  as  Lyford  and  Old- 
ham, found  so  cold  a  reception,  and  so  determined  a 
resolution  to  exclude  them  from  the  colony. 

That  this  should  have  been  done  by  the  very  men 
who  had  dared  every  thing,  and  endured  all  things, 
for  the  free  exercise  of  conscience,  has  been  regarded 
as  a  most  culpable  and  inexcusable  inconsistency  of 


42 


BRIDGEWATER 


conduct.  But,  in  this,  we  are  in  danger  of  doing  them 
gross  injustice.  That  they  had  been  born  before  the 
light  of  religious  tolerance  had  been  shed  upon 
the  nations,  was  their  misfortune,  it  may  be ;  and  that 
they  were  born  with  human  passions  and  weaknesses, 
as  they  were  with  human  forms,  may  detract  from 
their  claims  upon  the  respect  of  others.  But  wherein, 
after  all,  consists  the  ground  of  censure  and  reproach, 
that  men,  who  had  gone  so  far  and  suffered  so  much 
to  find  a  place  where  they  should  be  free  from  intru- 
sion and  outside  annoyance,  should  have  felt  disturbed 
and  angry  to  be  followed,  and  jostled  in  the  very 
sanctuary  of  their  own  homes,  by  men  who  had  done 
nothing  to  aid  them,  and  felt  no  sympathy  with  them, 
in  faith  or  taste,  or  desire  for  the  advancement  of  the 
colony  *? 

It  was  to  them  like  the  intrusion  of  an  unwelcome 
visitor  into  one's  family  circle,  who  comes  to  cavil  and 
find  fault,  to  call  the  master  hard  names,  and  plague 
and  pester  the  inmates  by  rude  deportment  and  bad 
manners.  It  is  fashionable  to  call  this  intolerance  and 
^persecution  ;  and,  much  as  we  may  lament  the  igno- 
rance and  folly  that  sought  by  such  means  to  keep 
out  heresy  and  schism,  we  should,  I  apprehend,  ascer- 
tain, if  we  pursued  the  inquiry,  that  there  was  much 
less  of  a  spirit  of  persecution  in  these  measures  of 
government,  than  of  a  desire  and  determination  to  be 
let  alone  themselves. 

But,  pleasant  as  it  would  be  to  dwell  upon  the  his- 


CENTENNIAL  CELEBRATION.  43 

tory  of  the  social  and  political  condition  of  the  colony, 
in  which  many  connected  with  the  early  history  of 
Bridgewater  took  a  part,  time  compels  me  to  forego 
the  one,  while  I  briefly  call  your  attention  to  the 
other. 

For  twelve  years  after  the  settlement  of  Plymouth, 
the  colony  contained  but  a  single  town.  Duxbury 
was  formed  into  a  church  and  town  in  1632,  and  was 
followed  by  Scituate  in  1636.  Bridgewater  formed 
the  tenth,  in  order  of  time,  of  these  little  bodies  politic 
into  which  the  colony  was  divided. 

I  can  scarcely  refer  to  one  circumstance,  in  the 
organization  of  the  colonies  of  New  England,  which 
exerted  so  marked  and  lasting  an  influence  upon  their 
prosperity,  their  strength,  and  their  ultimate  success, 
as  the  subdivision  of  their  territory  into  townships, 
and  the  creation  of  these  into  corporate  bodies  for 
municipal  purposes. 

I  know  not  to  what  happy  thought,  or  to  what  cir- 
cumstance in  their  experience,  we  owe  this  then  novel 
arrangement  of  the  parts  in  relation  to  the  whole.  It 
was  not  probably  so  much  the  result  of  any  particular 
foresight,  as  of  that  ready  tact  and  excellent  common 
sense  which  so  often  guided  them  in  the  measures 
they  adopted.  Originally  identified  with  their  church 
organizations,  each  of  these  corporations  became 
actors  in  the  political  as  well  as  the  spiritual  aflkirs 
of  the  colony ;  while  to  their  charge  was  committed 
much  of  the  management  of  its  economical  concerns. 


44  BRIDGE  WATER 

Through  these,  bodies  of  citizens  were  frequently 
brought  together  to  confer  with  each  other,  and  to 
discuss  topics  of  a  common  interest,  till  a  common 
sentiment  was  created ;  and  the  interests  of  these,  col- 
lectively, went  to  make  up  very  much  of  that  which 
we  call  the  commonwealth.  The  effect  of  this  is  seen 
in  the  universal  readiness  with  which  the  people  of 
New  England  engage  in  the  discussion  of  popular 
questions  in  popular  debates,  which  travellers  amongst 
us  have  so  often  admired.  But  it  enters  no  less 
decidedly  into  the  business  of  government.  Each  of 
these  little  republics  exercises  a  governmental  control 
within  itself,  independent  of  that  of  the  state,  though 
altogether  in  harmony  with  it.  And  when,  at  the 
final  rupture  of  the  province  with  the  mother  country, 
the  organized  government  of  the  whole  body  politic 
became  extinct,  civil  order  was  maintained,  moneys 
were  raised,  the  trainbands  organized  and  sent  into  the 
field,  and  the  scenes  of  Lexington  and  Bunker  Hill 
enacted,  by  the  combined  action  of  the  citizens  of 
independent  towns. 

Nor  is  it  in  their  political  influence  alone  that 
these  little  democracies  act  so  important  a  part  in 
our  social  organization :  they  supply  one  of  the  strong 
ties  of  local  association  and  attachment  that  bind  the 
citizen  to  his  country.  It  is  something  more  than 
country ;  it  is  something  more  even  than  home.  It 
is  not  merely  the  hill  that  looked  so  tall  to  us  in  our 
childhood,  nor  the  tree  beneath  whose  shade  we  played, 


CENTENNIAL  CELEBRATION.  45 

nor  the  old  familiar  schoolhouse  in  which  we  first 
carved  the  rude  initials  of  our  names,  that  bind  us  so 
strongly,  in  after-days,  to  that  magic  circle  within 
which  were  clustered  what  go  to  make  up  our  earliest 
home.  These  are  all  associated  in  our  memory  with 
the  name  and  history  of  some  town  or  village,  till  it 
becomes  a  part  of  our  very  selves.  Men  may  tell  us 
that  these  are  "  bodies  corporate,"  and  that,  in  the 
eye  of  the  law,  they  have  neither  souls  to  animate 
nor  hearts  to  feel.  But  when  the  dust  of  a  parent 
has  been  mingled  with  its  soil ;  when  the  grass  on 
some  little  mound,  where  we  have  laid  away  the  rich- 
est of  the  heart's  treasures,  has  been  moistened  by  the 
tears  of  affection,  —  the  man  is  unworthy  of  the  form 
he  wears  whose  soul  is  not  knit  with  a  tie  of  holy 
communion  with  every  spot  and  scene  and  old  fami- 
liar name  which  go  to  make  up  that  physical  and 
moral  and  social  entity,  the  town,  where  he  was  born, 
or  in  whose  prosperity  he  has  shared  in  the  struggles 
and  successes  of  middle  life. 

The  first  grant  of  the  plantation,  afterwards  incor- 
porated into  the  town  of  Bridgewater,  was  made  by 
the  colony  to  Duxbury,  as  a  compensation  for  the 
loss  of  territory  occasioned  by  the  creation  of  Marsh- 
field  into  a  township  in  1645. 

It  embraced  a  territory  of  eight  miles  square,  but 
was  afterwards  increased  to  ninety-six  square  miles  ; 
but,  like  similar  grants  from  the  court,  it  was  in  the 
nature  of  a  pre-emption  right,  whereby  the  grantees 


46  BRIDGEWATER 

became  authorized  to  acquire  the  title  to  the  soil  from 
the  native  proprietors.  In  accordance  with  this  prin- 
ciple, a  committee  of  the  grantees,  consisting  of  Miles 
Standish,  Samuel  Nash,  many  years  sheriff  of  the 
colony,  and  Constant  Southworth,  whose  mother  had 
married  Governor  Bradford,  was  appointed  to  obtain 
the  requisite  title-deeds  from  the  good  old  Massasoit, 
within  whose  jurisdiction  this  territory  was  situated. 
The  very  names  of  this  committee  are  a  sufficient  gua- 
ranty of  honorable  and  fair  dealing  on  the  part  of  the 
purchasers ;  and  we  find,  among  the  muniments  of 
their  title,  a  deed  of  the  date  of  1649,  bearing  the 
handmark  of  that  constant  and  early  friend  of 
the  white  man,  under  the  name  of  Ousamequin. 

Tradition  points  out  the  spot  where  this  act  of  pur- 
chase was  completed,  which  once  bore  the  name  of 
"  Sachem's  Rock."*  But  it  is  sad  to  think,  that, 
of  all  that  race  who  then  peopled  this  region,  nothing 
but  tradition  now  remains.  It  is  sad  to  recall  in 
how  short  a  time  not  a  drop  of  the  blood  of  the 
Sachem  of  Pokanoket,  whose  hand  of  friendship  wel- 
comed our  fathers  to  these  shores,  was  to  be  found 
in  the  veins  of  any  living  being. 

True,  it  was  a  long  and  bloody  struggle  that  closed 
the  tragic  history  of  his  race.  Scarce  a  vestige  of  the 
homes  of  his  warriors  can  now  be  traced ;  and  save 


*  It  is  situated  in  what  is  now  East  Bridgewater,  and  still  bears  the  name  of 
Sachem's  Rock." 


CENTENNIAL  CELEBRATION.  47 

some  such  uncouth  memorial  as  is  appended  to  the 
deed  of  these  lands,  or  is  now  and  then  turned  up  by 
the  furrow  in  some  rude  implement  of  husbandry 
or  savage  warfare,  nothing  remains  to  tell  us  of  the 
once-powerful  tribe  that  fished  in  these  streams,  and 
hunted  in  these  forests,  and  lit  their  council-fires 
around  these  scenes  of  prosperous  industry  and 
thrift. 

"  The  red  men  have  passed, 
Like  the  strewn  leaves  of  autumn  dispersed  by  the  blast." 

But,  to  the  honor  of  the  founders  of  Bridgewater,  a 
disposition  to  deal  fairly  with  the  aboriginal  proprie- 
tors of  the  soil  was  ever  manifested,  so  long  as  any 
claim  remained  to  be  adjusted.  We  find  them,  in 
1686,  raising  a  committee  to  "bargain,  buy,  and  pay 
for  any  just  interest "  that  Josiah  Sachem  had  in  the 
town  of  Bridgewater ;  which  was  soon  after  honorably 
and  satisfactorily  done.  And  it  should  be  remem- 
bered, in  this  connection,  that  this  was  written  a 
few  years  after  the  termination  of  Philip's  war,  in 
which,  though  the  town  suffered  less  in  comparison 
than  most  of  the  frontier  settlements,  its  inhabitants 
took  a  brave  and  active  part ;  and,  though  the  claim 
here  set  up  was  not  by  one  of  the  Wampanoags,  it 
was  not  always  easy  to  discriminate,  in  the  feelings 
of  the  sufferers,  between  the  different  members  of 
a  race  who  had  carried  on  war  in  the  same  savage 
manner. 


48  BRIDGEWATER 

To  the  usual  horrors  of  an  Indian  warfare,  there 
had  been  united  a  courage  and  a  determination  on  the 
part  of  the  wily  chief  of  Montaup,*  and  a  wide-spread 
union  of  the  tribes  of  New  England,  that  threatened 
extermination  to  the  white  men.  It  had  been  literally 
a  death-struggle  of  the  two  races.  Nor  can  we,  at 
this  day,  form  any  adequate  conception  of  the  constant 
apprehension  under  which  the  settlers  of  these  towns 
had  lived.  No  spot  was  safe.  The  very  darkness 
of  midnight  was  no  shelter  against  the  prowling 
savage.  Even  the  church  in  which  they  worshipped 
was  converted  into  a  fortress,  in  1675,  by  means  of 
palisadoes,  "for  the  safety  of  the  town  in  the  time 
of  danger,  to  be  made,"  says  the  record,  "  with  half 
trees,  seven  feet  above  the  ground,  six  rood  long  and 
nine  rood  wide,  besides  the  flankers  every  quarter  or 
squadron  to  doe  each  of  them  a  side  or  an  end ; " 
and  it  was  within  such  a  shelter  as  this  only  that 
they  had  dared  to  meet  even  for  the  purpose  of 
worshipping  God. 

From  the  few  notices  that  remain  of  the  part  which 
the  inhabitants  took  in  that  struggle  with  Philip,  we 
may  judge  somewhat  of  its  extent  by  the  numbers 
who  engaged  in  the  active  duty  of  soldiers.  There 
were  not,  at  that  time,  more  than  fifty  persons  capable 
of  bearing  arms  in  the  town ;  and,  from  the  remote- 


*  The  mode  of  spelling  the  name  of  the  seat  of  King  Philip  here  adopted  is 
believed  to  be  that  used  by  the  Indians :  the  name,  as  commonly  received,  is  "  Mount 
Hope." 


CENTENNIAL  CELEBRATION.  49 

ness  of  the  seaboard,  we  are  told,  "  they  were  strongly 
urged  to  desert  their  dwellings,  and  repair  to  the 
towns  by  the  seaside."  But,  so  far  from  complying 
with  this  suggestion,  we  find  seventeen  of  their  num- 
ber at  one  time  hastening  to  the  relief  of  Mattapoiset 
and  the  people  of  Swansey ;  and,  on  another  occasion, 
twenty  of  their  number  encountering  a  much  larger 
body  of  the  enemy,  and  taking  seventeen  of  them 
prisoners. 

But,  in  the  disposition  of  those  prisoners,  we  are 
obliged  to  open  a  page  in  the  history  of  the  colony, 
over  which  it  would  be  well  for  their  memories  if 
oblivion  could  draw  a  friendly  veil.  I  have  spoken  of 
the  general  sense  of  justice  with  which  the  early  colo- 
nists treated  the  native  tribes  around  them ;  and  we 
all  know  with  what  sorrow  the  good  Robinson  la- 
mented that  they  "  had  not  converted  some  before 
they  had  killed  any  "  of  these  sons  of  the  forest,  when 
he  heard  of  the  deadly  encounter  between  Standish  and 
Pecksuot,  the  treacherous  boaster  of  his  strength 
and  prowess,  and  in  which  the  latter  was  slain. 

But  the  circumstance  to  which  I  allude  was  the 
order  of  the  court,  in  1676,  "  that  all  such  as  had  any 
Indian  captive,  above  the  age  of  fourteen  years,  should 
dispose  of  the  same  out  of  the  colony  by  the  first  of 
the  next  December,  on  pain  of  forfeiting  every  such 
Indian  or  Indians  to  the  use  of  the  colony." 

I  would  gladly  record  some  decided  disavowal  of 
such  a  measure  by  the  people  of  Bridgewater ;  but 


50  BRIDGEWATEK 

justice  requires  me  to  transcribe  a  vote  of  the  21st 
August,  1676,  upon  tlie  question,  "Who  should  have 
the  money  that  was  made  of  the  Indians  that  were  sold 
last  ] "  alluding  to  the  prisoners  already  mentioned, 
who  had  been  taken  by  the  Bridgewater  soldiers,  and 
had  been  sold  at  Plymouth  by  order  of  the  court. 

The  record  reads  in  these  words :  "  And  the  vote 
passed,  that  the  soldiers  that  took  them  should  have 
the  money.  The  contrary  being  called,  I  see  but  three 
men,  at  most,  who  hold  up  their  hands  to  the  con- 
trary." It  should  be  borne  in  mind,  that  the  custom 
of  enslaving  captives  taken  in  war  was  long  regarded 
as  an  act  of  merciful  commutation  for  the  forfeiture  of 
the  life  which  they  had  incurred ;  and  that  it  is  difficult 
for  us  to  measure  the  advance  that  has  been  made  in 
the  science  of  political  morality  between  the  sentiments 
which  then  universally  prevailed,  and  the  feeling  of 
New  England  now,  that  denies  the  right  of  property 
in  human  beings.  It  may  have  been  deemed  a  mea- 
sure of  necessity  for  the  safety  of  the  colonists,  to 
dispose  of  those  bold,  fierce  warriors  beyond  the  possi- 
bility of  return ;  and  therefore  it  was  that  they  sold 
them  away  into  slavery.  But,  whatever  might  have 
been  the  feelings  and  sentiment  of  the  General  Court 
of  the  colony,  I  cheerfully  accept,  for  the  men  of 
Bridgewater,  the  construction  which  has  been  put 
upon  the  vote  which  I  have  just  quoted  by  one  of  her 
worthiest  sons,  who,  amidst  the  honors  he  has  received 
in  another  State,  has  never  ceased  to  be  sensitive  to 


J 


CENTENNIAL  CELEBRATION.  51 

her  honor,*  that  "  this  disposition  of  these  prisoners 
was  so  repulsive  to  the  feelings  and  obnoxious  to  the 
principles  of  the  Bridgewater  people,  that  they  would 
not  permit  the  money  for  which  they  were  sold  to 
come  into  the  general  treasury ;  and  they  voted  '  that 
the  soldiers  that  took  them  should  have  it.' " 

And  this  view  I  am  happy  to  find  strengthened  by 
the  known  and  openly  avowed  opinions  of  their  vene- 
rable pastor,  Mr.  Keith,  who,  to  his  honor  be  it 
remembered,  when  the  question  was  submitted  to  the 
clergy  of  the  colony  what  should  be  done  with 
the  wife  and  little  son  of  Philip,  who  had  been  taken 
prisoners,  strongly  maintained  the  duty  of  exer- 
cising mercy,  against  the  judgment  of  many  of  his 
clerical  brethren.  His  feeling  would  have  been  to 
spare  the  little  lad,  then  but  nine  years  of  age,  from 
the  life  of  slavery  in  Bermuda  into  which  he  was 
eventually  sold.f  I  am  the  more  confirmed  in  this 
favorable  judgment  of  the  views  of  the  people  of 
this  town  upon  the  subject  of  slavery,  from  the  fact, 
that  as  late  as  1754,  when  there  were  in  the  county  of 


*  Hon.  Elijah  Hayward,  of  McConnelsville,  Ohio,  fonnerly  Commissioner  of 
the  Land  Office  at  Washington,  Judge  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  Ohio,  &c.,  —  a 
lineal  descendant,  in  the  fifth  degree,  from  Thomas  Hayward,  one  of  the  earliest  set- 
tlers in  Bridgewater. 

t  The  following  extract  from  the  letter  of  the  Eev.  Mr.  Keith  serves  to  show 
how  the  clergy  of  that  day  illustrated  and  tested  questions  of  a  politico-moral  cha- 
racter: "I  long  to  hear  what  becomes  of  Philip's  wife  and  son.  I  know  there  is 
some  difficulty  in  ^hat  Psalm  cxxxvii.  8,  9 ;  though  I  think  it  may  be  considered 
whether  there  be  not  some  specialty  and  somewhat  extraordinary  in  it.  That  law, 
Deut.  xxiv.  16,  compared  with  the  commended  example  of  Amaziah,  2  Chron.  xxv.  4, 
doth  sway  much  with  me  in  the  case  under  consideration." 


52  BRIDGEWATER 

Plymouth  one  hundred  and  thirty-three  slaves,  and  in 
the  whole  province  nearly  five  thousand,  the  statistics 
from  which  I  have  quoted  do  not  show  a  single  slave 
in  Bridgewater!  All  honor  to  such  abolition,  that 
begins  the  work  of  discarding  slavery,  black  or  white, 
at  home,  and  speaks  so  much  more  effectively  by 
example  than  the  cheap  tribute  of  philippic  and 
invective ! 

The  settlement  of  the  town  was  begun,  on  the  part 
of  the  proprietors,  in  1650,  in  the  part  now  called  West 
Bridgewater ;  though  it  seems  that  one  family  had 
come  from  Salem,  and  settled  here,  four  years  before 
that  time.  This  was  the  well-known  family  of  Edson, 
whose  members,  for  so  many  years,  took  so  leading  a 
part  in  the  affairs  of  the  town  and  province.  It  was 
the  first  interior  town  settled  in  the  colony ;  but  it 
was  not  until  the  3d  June,  1656,  that  it  was  incorpo- 
rated as  such.  This  was  done,  in  the  briefest  possible 
terms,  by  the  simple  order,  "  that  henceforth  Duxbuiy 
new  plantation  be  allowed  to  be  a  township  by  itself, 
distinct  from  Duxbury,  and  to  be  called  by  the  name 
of  Bridgewater."*  From  that  time,  she  took  her 
place  among  the  little  bodies  politic  of  Plymouth, 
until  that  colony  was  merged  in  her  more  powerful, 
and,  as  was  sometimes  thought,  grasping  neighbor. 
But  whether  we  contemplate  her  history  in  its  con- 


*  It  nowhere  appears,  that  I  can  learn,  why  this  name  was  adopted  rather 
than  that  of  any  other  of  the  towns  of  Old  England ;  thougli  possibly  some  of  its 
early  settlers  may  have  come  from  the  English  Bridgewater. 


CENTENNIAL  CELEBRATION.  53 

nection  with  that  of  the  Old  Colony,  or  of  Massachu- 
setts as  a  province,  or  as  an  independent  common- 
wealth, we  shall  find  that  she  has  sustained  her  share 
of  every  public  duty  and  burden,  and  has  illustrated, 
in  the  character  of  her  children,  those  public  and 
domestic  virtues  which  command  respect,  while  they 
insure  thrift  and  independence.  It  has  therefore 
been  with  a  just  and  honest  pride,  that  her  sons  and 
her  sons'  sons,  who  are  scattered  all  over  the  Union, 
have  watched  her  progress,  and  felt  that  her  honor 
was  in  no  small  degree  identical  with  their  own. 
And  it  is  with  such  feelings  that  some  of  these  have 
come  back  to-day,  to  revive  old  associations,  and 
listen  to  the  recital  of  some  of  the  reminiscences 
which  the  recurrence  of  the  day  is  calculated  to 
awaken. 

To  more  than  one  of  these,  I  ought  to  express  my 
acknowledgment  for  the  aid  I  have  received,  even  in 
the  imperfect  manner  in  which  I  am  able  to  present 
the  topics  suitable  for  the  occasion ;  *  and,  as  I  recall 
this,  I  am  painfully  reminded  how  much  better  jus- 
tice would  have  been  done  to  the  subject  in  other 
hands,  had  I  not  yielded  judgment  to  inclination,  by 
following  impulses  awakened  by  the  memory  of  an 
ancestry  whose  history  is  associated  with  that  of  this 
ancient  town. 

*  Among  these,  I  ought  to  mention  Judge  Hayward,  of  Ohio,  and,  in  special 
manner,  Ellis  Ames,  Esq.,  of  Canton,  a  native  of  Bridgewater,  whose  accuracy  and 
learning  as  an  antiquary  are  in  keeping  with  the  readiness  with  which  he  imparts 
to  others  the  results  of  his  own  labors. 


54  BRIDGEWATER 

And  let  us  not  forget  the  labors  of  him  who  was 
so  emmently  the  historian  of  Bridgewater.  Bound  by 
the  strong  ties  of  kindred  and  affection. to  this  his 
native  town,  he  gave  to  it  the  fruits  of  the  taste  and 
diligence  of  an  antiquary,  in  a  volume  which  must 
ever  serve  as  the  storehouse  of  its  early  and  genealo- 
gical annals. 

Descended  from  one  of  the  "forefathers,"*  and 
cherishing,  as  he  did,  a  veneration  for  their  memories, 
and  the  filial  attachment  of  a  son  to  Bridgewater, 
how  would  his  gentle  and  genial  spirit  have  rejoiced 
in  this  day!  and  with  what  delight  would  he  have 
greeted  these  descendants  of  his  early  fiiends  and 
associates;  and  of  those,  scarcely  less  his  familiars, 
who  felled  the  first  forest-tree  and  planted  the  first 
cornfield  on  the  spot  where  we  are  assembled! 

Through  a  long  and  honored  life,  he  shared  alike 
the  confidence  of  the  public  and  the  personal  regard 
of  his  friends. 

As  an  antiquary,  he  exhibited  the  unobtrusive 
and  patient  industry  of  "  Old  Mortality,"  in  chipping 
out  the  fading  memorials  of  a  departed  race. 

And  if,  on  this  occasion,  we  bring  forth,  like  the 
Romans  of  old,  the  images  of  the  departed  whose 
names  we  ought  to  recall,  we  should  be  doing  injus- 
tice to  ourselves,  if,  among  them,  we  failed  to  give  an 
honored  place  to  that  of  Mitchell. 

*  Experience  Michell,  who  came  over  in  the  "  Anne,"  in  1623,  the  third  ship 
that  arrived. 


CENTENNIAL  CELEBRATION.  55 

In  turning  more  directly  to  incidents  of  local  his- 
tory, it  is  obvious  that  time  will  admit  of  but  little 
detail.  All  I  can  hope  to  do  is  to  seize  upon  enough 
of  these  to  serve  as  exponents  of  the  moral,  social,  or 
political  condition  of  its  people  from  one  period  to 
another. 

There  is  one  conviction  that  presses  upon  the  mind, 
in  glancing  along  the  pages  of  the  early  records  of  a 
state  or  town ;  and  that  is,  how  inadequately  the 
actors  in  passing  events  measure  their  relative  impor- 
tance at  the  time  of  their  occurrence.  Time  only 
furnishes  the  true  test  for  this,  when  their  relation  to 
the  after-events  in  history  have  been  developed.  If, 
for  instance,  we  look  into  the  records  of  the  Pro- 
vincial Congress,  then  in  session,  for  any  notice  of 
the  battle  of  Bunker  Hill,  though  fought  almost 
within  hearing  of  its  members,  we  find  it  incidentally 
spoken  of  as  "  the  late  attack  of  the  king's  troops  at 
Bunker  Hill ;  "  little  dreaming  it  was  to  be,  in  its 
consequence,  one  of  the  great  events  of  the  century. 
And  so,  on  a  smaller  sphere,  we  look  in  vain,  in  the 
records  of  this  town,  for  any  thing  more  than  a  passing 
notice  of  what  we  now  know  were  incidents  of  great 
historic  interest. 

While  the  location  and  allotments  of  their  lands, 
the  boundaries  of  their  roads,  and  even  the  marks  of 
ownership  of  their  domestic  animals,  are  carefully 
registered,  Philip's  war,  the  subversion  of  their  char- 
ter, the  usurpation  of  Andros,  and  the  blotting-out  of 


56  BRIDGEWATER 

the  political  existence  of  one  colony  by  the  oversha- 
dowing growth  of  another,  scarcely  occupy  a  para- 
graph in  these  records. 

There  is  enough  to  show  that  these  were  indeed 
exciting  topics  in  the  minds  of  the  people  of  that 
day ;  but  they  left  no  declaration  upon  their  records 
of  the  impression  which  these  events  had  made. 

The  first  recorded  meeting  of  the  inhabitants  of  the 
town  was  held  on  the  3d  November,  1656. 

Although  one  of  the  primary  objects  of  these  town 
organizations  was  to  maintain  a  competent  and  pious 
ministry,  I  do  not  find  any  action  upon  the  subject 
till  January,  1660,  when  provision  was  made  for  the 
"  carrying  along  the  Lord's-Day  exercise,"  by  an  offer 
of  thirty  pounds,  or  "  twenty  pounds  and  his  diet,"  to 
Mr.  Bunker,  "  to  come  hither,  and  supply  our  wants 
in  the  way  of  the  ministry."  This  was  indeed  a  day 
of  small  things.  Money  they  had  almost  none ;  and 
even  the  corn  which  they  made,  to  a  considerable 
extent,  a  circulating  medium,  could  only  be  produced 
by  much  toil,  and  often  at  the  peril  of  life  from  a 
lurking  foe. 

Of  their  first  meeting-house  we  know  little.  Such 
as  it  was,  it  served  its  purpose  for  a  few  years.  But, 
in  1671,  arrangements  were  made  for  the  erection 
of  one  forty  feet  in  length,  twenty-six  in  width, 
and  "  fourteen  feet  studs,"  at  an  expense  of  "  four- 
score pounds,"  not  including  "  the  making  of  galleries 
or  sealing."     The  means,  however,  for  constructing 


CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  57 

this  humble  edifice  were  not  raised  by  vote  till  1673, 
when  it  was  to  be  levied  "  ten  pounds  in  money,  ten 
pounds  in  Indian  corn,  and  the  rest  in  marchandahle 
boards,  at  four  shillings  a  hundredth." 

In  the  selection  of  a  minister,  the  town  seems  to 
have  been  particularly  fortunate.  The  records  detail 
their  agreement,  in  1664,  with  "  James  Keith,  a  stu- 
dent of  divinity,"  whereby,  among  other  things,  they 
were  to  cover  the  minister's  house  a  second  time ;  "to 
glaze  the  windows  as  soon  as  they  could,  provided 
they  can  get  glass  for  boards ; "  and  there  were  to 
be  two  hundred  bricks  furnished  for  constructing 
the  chimneys,  backs,  hearths,  and  oven,  payable  in 
corn. 

You  may  regard  these  as  trifling  details ;  but  they 
tell,  more  vividly  than  any  language  can  describe, 
the  humble  style  in  which  these  settlers  lived,  and  the 
straits  and  circumstances  to  which  they  submitted,  for 
so  many  years  after  they  had  taken  upon  themselves 
the  character  and  duties  of  an  independent  municipa- 
lity. Even  their  minister's  house  was  to  be  glazed, 
and  furnished  with  a  brick  chimney  and  oven,  only 
on  condition  that  they  could  procure  the  materials  in 
exchange  for  the  products  of  their  own  labor.  Mr. 
Keith  was  a  native  of  Scotland,  had  been  educated 
at  the  university  of  Aberdeen,  and  was  recommended  to 
the  people  of  Bridgewater  by  that  renowned  divine, 
Dr.  Increase  Mather.  And,  although  the  limits  of 
these  remarks  will  not  allow  me  to  speak  of  indivi- 


58  BRIDGEWATER 

dual  character  in  detail,  it  is  pleasant  to  record  that 
the  connection  of  Mr.  Keith  with  the  people  of  his 
charge  was  alike  honorable  and  creditable  to  both ; 
and  he  seems  to  have  stamped  his  own  character  upon 
this  community.  He  preached  his  first  sermon,  it  is 
said,  from  a  rock  in  the  open  air,  —  typical  of  that 
rock  on  which  his  church  should  rest.  He  lived  to 
see  a  population  large  enough  for  three  parishes,  and 
a  minister  settled  over  one  of  them  besides  his  own,* 
and  a  considerable  portion  of  another  township  carved 
from  this ;  and  was  gathered  to  the  reward  of  his  la- 
bors, at  the  ripe  age  of  seventy-six,  in  the  year  1719. 

It  is  sad  to  be  reminded,  as  we  glance  over  the 
pages  of  these  records,  how  early  the  second  genera- 
tion began  to  illustrate,  in  practice,  the  truth  of  some 
of  those  rugged  dogmas  in  theology  which  the  first 
generation  so  stoutly  maintained.  There  was,  we  have 
reason  to  fear,  a  spirit  of  depravity  in  the  very  earliest 
offshoots  from  the  Pilgrim  stock,  when  we  read  how, 
in  1686,  the  town  chose  "  men  to  look  after  the  boys 
on  the  sabbath  days,  that  they  be  not  disorderly ; " 
and  three  grave  gentlemen,  —  John  Ames,  senior, 
Thomas  Snell,  and  Edward  Mitchell,  —  worthy  ances- 
tors of  a  numerous  and  honored  posterity,  were  selected 
for  this  difficult  and  responsible  duty. 

But  without  stopping  to  discuss  points  in  polemical 
divinity,  or  why  boys  at  that  day  required  looking 

*  The  South  Parish  was  incorporated  in  1716,  and  the  Rev.  Benjamin  Allen 
ordained  as  the  first  pastor,  July  9,  1718. 


CENTENNIAL  CELEBRATION.  59 

after,  and  leaving  to  modern  reformers  the  graver 
question,  why  the  tables  have  been  so  completely 
turned,  that  it  is  the  boys  now  that  look  after  the 
men,  in  their  haste  to  discard  the  reverence  as  well 
as  the  theology  of  their  fathers,  I  turn  with  more 
pleasure  to  the  interest  which,  from  an  early  period, 
the  town  has  taken  in  the  cause  of  education. 

To  Massachusetts  is  the  honor  due  of  having  first 
devised  free  schools,  in  1647,  that  "learning,"  in  the 
beautiful  language  of  the  day,  "  might  not  be  buried 
in  the  graves  of  their  ancestors."  In  1663,  the  court 
at  Plymouth  recommended  a  measure  like  this  to  the 
several  towns. 

But  though,  in  the  very  infancy  of  the  town,  its 
inhabitants  had  shown  the  interest  they  felt  in  the 
cause  of  education,  by  contributing  twelve  pounds,  in 
Indian  corn,  for  the  benefit  of  Harvard  College,  —  for 
which,  in  behalf  of  that  university,  I  now  tender 
acknowledgments  to  their  memory,  —  I  do  not  find 
any  corporate  action  for  establishing  schools  within 
the  town  till  about  the  year  1700,  when  "  a  scholar 
who  came  out  from  England,  whose  name  is  Thomas 
Martin,"  was  engaged  for  four  years  to  keep  a  school 
in  four  places  in  the  town  in  each  year,  —  three 
months  in  each  place.  And  it  was  yet  five  years 
before  they  seem  to  have  discovered,  and  even  then 
but  partially,  what  everybody  now  understands  so 
well,  —  the  superior  qualifications  of  woman  for  in- 
structing the  young.     They  then  voted  "  to  provide 


60  BRIDGEWATER 

four  school-dames  for  to  instruct  small  children  in 
reading." 

But,  though  entering  late  into  the  field,  we  are 
warranted,  from  its  whole  history,  in  believing  that 
few^  towns  have  been  more  uniform  or  consistent  in 
supplying  to  the  young  the  means  of  education* 
Though  there  were  among  the  early  settlers  few  who 
laid  claim  to  much  scholarship,  there  were  none 
who  wanted  that  general  intelligence  and  practical 
good  sense  so  much  more  useful  to  men  in  their  con- 
dition. There  was,  in  this  respect,  a  remarkable 
uniformity  among  them,  and  scarcely,  if  any,  less 
remarkable  identity  in  their  religious  faith  and  ob- 
servance of  their  moral  duties.  And,  as  an  evidence 
of  this,  it  is  believed  by  those  who  have  made  it  a 
subject  of  investigation,  that  drunkenness  and  its 
kindred  vices  were  unknown  among  them ;  and  not  a 
single  conviction  of  an  inhabitant  of  the  town,  for  any 
crime  involving  moral  turpitude,  was  had  while  Ply- 
mouth existed  as  a  colony. 

When  a  better  system  of  religion  or  of  practical 


*  Since  preparing  this  address,  I  have  been  kindly  furnished,  by  a  worthy  and 
distinguished  member  of  the  Edson  family,  Rev.  Dr.  Edson,  of  Lowell,  with  ex- 
tracts from  two  deeds,  bearing  date  June  20,  1722,  from  Josiah  Edson,  known  as 
"Justice  Edson,"  son  of  Deacon  Edson,  named  in  the  address.  In  one  of  these,  he 
gives  to  the  town  of  Bridgewater  three  parcels  of  land,  "  for  the  encouragement  of 
a  grammar  school  among  them  for  ever;  "  and,  in  the  other,  he  gives  to  the  inha- 
bitants of  the  South  Precinct  a  tract  of  land,  "  for  the  promoting  and  encouraging 
of  learning  among  them,  .  .  .  towards  defraying  the  charge  of  a  school  or  schools 
in  said  precinct." 

These  lands  were  the  foundation  of  the  "Edson  Fund,"  which,  upon  the  divi- 
sion of  the  town,  was  distributed  among  its  several  parts. 


CENTENNIAL  CELEBRATION.  61 

faith  than  this  can  be  discovered,  the  world  may  begin 
to  dispense  with  the  old-fashioned  notions  of  Robin- 
son and  Brewster.  And  yet  it  was  not  because  the 
men  of  that  day  were  wanting  in  spirit  or  energy  or 
enterprise.  We  find  among  them,  not  only  those  who 
were  competent  to  guide  in  the  affairs  of  the  town, 
but  leading  spirits  in  the  colony,  —  Hayward,  a  mili- 
tary leader,  when  to  be  such  was  evidence  of  courage 
and  capacity  and  of  public  confidence  and  respect,  as 
well  as  a  magistrate  and  a  judge  ;  the  Bretts,*  honored 
in  church  and  state;  Willis,f  the  first  representa- 
tive in  the  colonial  General  Court ;  the  Edsons  ^  and 
the  Mitchells.  These  are  but  among  the  names  upon 
which  the  memory  rests,  when  it  dwells  upon  the 
early  history  of  this  spot. 

But,  invidious  as  it  might  seem  to  discriminate 
between  these  names,  it  would  be  far  more  so,  if, 
in  speaking  of  those  who  gave  a  character  to  the 
first  generation,  and  whose  teaching  and  influence 
trained  up  those  who  were  to  be  worthy  to  succeed 
them,  I  passed  over  the  wives  and  mothers  who 
came  here  into  the  wilderness  to  give  to  the  spot 


*  William  Brett  was  ordained  ruling  elder  of  the  church  soon  after  Mr.  Keith. 
Two  of  his  sons  were  deacons  of  the  church ;  and  another,  Elihu,  a  magistrate  and 
justice  of  the  C.  C.  Pleas. 

t  John  "Willis  was  first  deacon  of  Kev.  Mr.  Keith's  church,  and  represented  the 
town  in  the  Plymouth  General  Court  for  twenty-five  years. 

}  Deacon  Samuel  Edson  came  from  Salem,  and  settled  in  West  Bridge  water. 
The  name  was  among  the  most  distinguished  of  the  early  families  in  the  town. 
Col.  Josiah  was  graduated  at  Cambridge  in  1730,  and  was  one  of  the  mandamus 
counsellors  at  the  commencement  of  the  Revolution. 


62  BRIDGEWATER 

its  strongest  attraction,  —  the  simple  charm  of  home. 
They  came  here  while  the  howl  of  the  wolf  was  yet 
heard,  from  the  deep  forest  around  them,. at  midnight. 
Often  and  again  did  they  clasp  their  little  ones,  with 
more  than  a  mother's  tenderness,  as  they  saw  the  sha- 
dowy form  of  the  savage  stealthily  prowling  around 
their  scattered  dwellings  ;  or  waited  in  fearful  sus- 
pense for  the  return  of  a  husband  from  those  bold 
forrays  in  which  they  sought  for  the  foe  in  his  lair. 

But  history  does  not  tell  of  a  mother's  courage  that 
quailed,  or  a  woman's  fortitude  that  shrunk,  amidst 
these  dangers. 

It  was  the  lessons  and  trainings  of  such  mothers 
that  supplied  the  nerve  which  carried  the  colonies 
through  the  Indian  and  French  wars,  and  found  every 
man  a  soldier,  and  in  arms,  as  the  alarm-cry  went  out 
over  hill  and  through  valley  on  the  19  th  April,  1775. 

In  considering  the  elements  of  growth  and  prospe- 
rity of  the  town,  I  ought  not  to  pass  over  in  silence 
the  early  development  of  the  mechanical  enterprise 
and  skill  which  have  so  long  distinguished  its  inhabi- 
tants. Though  essentially  an  agricultural  community, 
the  useful  and  practical  arts  seem  early  to  have  found 
here  a  favorable  soil.   * 

There  is  something  in  the  exhibition  of  the  mecha- 
nic arts  so  nearly  akin  to  the  exercise  of  creative 
power,  that  we  can  never  witness  it  without  interest. 
But  how  ought  this  interest  to  be  enhanced,  when  we 
are  told,  as  we  are  by  the  venerable  historian  of  the 


CENTENNIAL  CELEBRATION.  63 

town,  that  it  was  here  the  first  small-arms  ever  made 
in  America  were  manufactured,  the  first  solid  cannon 
cast  and  bored,  and  the  first  thread  of  cotton  spun  by 
machinery ;  and  that  the  first  nail  ever  completely  cut 
and  headed  by  machinery,  at  a  single  operation,  in  the 
world,  was  made  here  !  * 

Who  will  estimate  the  debt  that  the  world  owes  to 
the  ingenuity  of  Orrf  and  his  associates,  and  the 
inventive  genius  of  Rogers,  followed  up,  as  they  have 
been,  by  the  enterprise  and  skill  of  the  dwellers 
amidst  these  rural  scenes'?  It  has  earned  independ- 
ent competency  for  the  citizen ;  it  has  added  count- 
less value  to  the  nation's  wealth;  and,  though  the 
period  of  which  I  am  speaking  was  but  the  dawning  of 
that  day  which  made  New  England  a  mechanical  and 
manufacturing  as  well  as  a  commercial  people,  it  sup- 
plied one  of  the  strongest  elements  of  our  national 
union,  when  it  made  one  part  of  this  great  continent 
dependent  upon  another  for  the  sources  of  its  wealth 
and  prosperity,  as  well  as  of  individual  comfort  and 
luxury. 


*  The  first  nails  of  this  kind  were  manufactured  by  Samuel  Rogers,  of  East 
Bridgewater. 

t  Hon.  Hugh  Orr,  who  was  a  member  of  the  Senate  in  1786,  first  manufactured 
small-arms  and  cannon  here.  He  employed  two  brothers  Barr  to  construct  carding, 
spinning,  and  roping  machines  at  his  works  in  East  Bridgewater,  prior  to  1786 ;  and 
about  that  time,  Thomas  Somers,  under  direction  of  Mr.  Orr,  constructed  other 
machines  for  carding,  roping,  and  spinning  cotton.  About  the  same  time,  he  em- 
ployed one  McCIure  to  weave  jeans  and  corduroys  by  hand,  with  a  fly-shuttle. 
"  About  1748,  he  made  five  thousand  stands  of  arms  for  the  Province  of  Massachu- 
setts Bay,  which  were  deposited  in  Castle  William:  nearly  all,  however,  were  carried 
off  by  the  British  when  they  evacuated  the  town  of  Boston." 


64  BRIDGEWATEK 

But  I  am  reluctantly  compelled  to  forego  any 
further  detail  of  the  incidents  in  the  early  history  of 
the  town. 

The  opening  of  the  second  century  of  her  history 
found  the  colonies  embroiled  in  the  last  of  the  "  old 
French  wars ; "  which  was  soon  followed  by  the 
Sugar  and  Stamp  Acts,  and  that  course  of  measures 
which  resulted  in  the  war  of  the  Revolution  and  the 
independence  of  our  country. 

But  the  century  through  whose  vicissitudes  she 
had  passed  had  been  working  mighty  changes  in  her 
condition. 

The  last  of  the  "  forefathers  "  and  the  "  first-comers  " 
had  gone  to  their  rest.  The  humble  dwelling  which 
Deacon  Edson  had  reared  here  in  1646  had  gathered 
around  it  near  six  hundred  others,  although  the  terri- 
tory had  been  shorn  of  its  proportions  by  the  incorpo- 
ration of  Abington  and  Pembroke.  The  clack  of  the 
little  mill  which  he  had  erected  on  "  Town  River,"  and 
which  had  fed  these  pioneers,  had  long  been  silent. 
The  feeble  church,  which,  under  the  guidance  of  Mr. 
Keith  and  Elder  Brett,  we  had  left  struggling  into 
life,  had  multiplied  into  five  parishes,  with  their 
respective  churches  and  pastors ;  *  while  a  population 


*  The  South  Parish  was  incorporated  in  1716;  and,  at  the  time  spoken  of, 
Rev.  John  Shaw  was  its  pastor.  The  East  was  incorporated  in  1723;  and  Rev. 
John  Angier  was  its  pastor.  The  North  was  incorporated  in  1738 ;  and  the  Eev.  John 
Porter  its  pastor.  Titicut  Parish  was  incorporated  in  1743 ;  and  the  Rev.  Solomon 
Reed  its  pastor;  while  the  Rev.  Daniel  Perkins,  the  successor  of  Mr.  Keith,  was  the 
pastor  of  the  original  parish. 


CENTENNIAL  CELEBRATION.  65 

of  near  four  thousand  souls  were  scattered  over  this 
territory.  Instead  of  sending,  as  she  had  done,  for 
"  a  scholar  that  came  out  of  England  "  to  teach  her 
schools,  eleven  of  her  own  sons  had  themselves 
become  scholars,  and  shared  in  the  honors  of  our 
university. 

All  this,  let  us  remember,  had  been  the  fruits,  not  of 
royal  bounty,  or  even  the  distinguished  advantages 
of  superior  local  position.  Her  sons  had  brought 
with  them  no  hoarded  wealth,  nor  had  any  tide  of 
successful  foreign  commerce  enriched  their  coffers. 
They  had  gone  through  the  struggles  incident  to  the 
infancy,  weakness,  and  poverty  of  such  a  settlement, 
had  subdued  a  rugged  soil,  and  had  laid  the  founda- 
tions of  a  free  and  prosperous  community  too  deep  to 
be  easily  shaken. 

And  though  this  was  followed  by  the  long,  wasting 
war  of  the  Revolution,  in  which  her  resources  were 
exhausted  and  her  treasury  bankrupt,  there  was 
within  her  a  recuperative  power  which  no  difficulty 
could  overcome,  no  adversity  paralyze.  She  had 
within  her  a  body  of  enterprising  and  intelligent  men, 
—  Pilgrims  no  longer,  Puritans  modified  by  the  very 
world's  respect  which  they  had  been  winning,  —  who, 
severed  for  ever  from  the  burdens  and  restraints  of  a 
foreign  government,  were  now  at  liberty  to  give  free 
play  to  the  spirit  that  had  descended  upon  them  from 
the  men  of  the  "  Mayflower." 

But,  before  we  venture  to  trace  the  effects  of  these 


66  BRIDGEWATEK 

causes  in  their  results,  I  should  be  doing  injustice  to 
the  men  who  took  part  in  the  events  of  the  opening- 
scenes  of  the  second  century  of  the  history  of  this 
community,  if  I  omitted  to  speak  of  these  a  little  more 
in  detail.  I  have  referred  to  the  progress  that  had 
been  then  made  from  its  condition  a  century  earlier. 
But  we  ought  not  to  be  misled  by  such  comparisons. 

It  would  be  pleasant  if  we  could  look  in  upon  the 
social  condition  of  the  men  of  1756,  —  their  houses, 
their  style  of  living,  and  the  inventories  of  their 
goods  and  estates,  —  that  we  might  compare  them 
with  1856. 

Neither  time  nor  means  within  my  command  will 
admit  of  my  doing  this  beyond  the  briefest  notice. 
But  a  single  fact  may  serve  as  an  indication  of  what 
such  a  comparison  might  show. 

In  1756,  a  tax  was  laid  upon  carriages  in  the  Pro- 
vince, for  the  encouragement  of  the  manufacture  of 
linen.  And  it  appears  that  there  was  neither  coach 
nor  chariot  in  all  the  Old  Colony,  and  only  four 
chaises,  not  one  of  which  was  in  Bridgewater ;  and 
only  four  "  chairs "  were  owned  within  the  town. 

But  it  should  be  remembered  that  the  pillion  and 
the  horse-block  had  not  yet  disappeared  before  the 
march  of  modern  refinement. 

I  have  been  furnished,  through  the  kindness  of  the 
Register  of  Deeds  in  this  county,*  —  for  from  every 

*  William  S.  Russell,  Esq. 


CENTENNIAL  CELEBRATION.  67 

man,  who  ever  had  his  home  in  Bridgewater,  I  have 
been  sure  of  sympathy  and  aid,  —  with  four  invento- 
ries of  estates  from  the  probate-office :  one  from  Ply- 
mouth, and  another  from  Bridgewater,  of  a  hundred 
years  ago ;  the  other  two  from  the  latter  town,  of  an 
earlier  date,  one  of  which  was  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Keith, 
in  1719. 

Though  it  would  be  taxing  your  indulgence  too  far 
to  give  these  in  detail,  permit  me  to  glance  at  them, 
that  we  may  see,  for  a  moment,  how  far  the  luxuries 
of  our  fathers  fell  short  of  the  necessaries  of  our  own 
day. 

The  total  of  Mr.  Keith's  property  —  for  preaching 
and  property  do  not  seem  to  have  run  in  the  same 
channel  any  more  in  that  day  than  in  this  —  amounted 
to  a  hundred  and  sixty-seven  pounds  eleven  shillings, 
thirty  pounds  of  which  was  his  library,  and  seventy- 
two  pounds  household  furniture,  including  one  looking- 
glass  ;  which  might  lead  one  to  infer  that  he  found 
the  reflections  on  original  sin,  free  agency,  and  the 
decrees  which  these  ponderous  tomes  of  polemical 
divinity  suggested,  far  more  suited  to  his  taste  than 
the  reflection  of  his  own  benevolent  countenance 
from  the  only  mirror  that  his  house  afforded. 

In  the  inventory  of  good  Deacon  Atwood,  of  Ply- 
mouth, in  1755,  we  cannot  but  be  struck  with  an  illus- 
tration of  the  proverbially  superior  thrift  and  foresight 
of  the  second  over  the  first  officer  of  every  church. 

Though  possessed  of  more  than  ten  times  as  much 


68  BRIDGEWATER 

estate  as  the  venerable  pastor  of  Bridgewater,  he  seems 
to  have  had  a  taste  somewhat  in  contrast  with  that 
of  the  latter,  and  tending  rather  to  looking-glasses 
than  books ;  for  we  find  he  possessed  three  of  the 
former,  valued  together  at  six  pounds  sixteen  shillings 
and  eightpence ;  while  his  whole  library  was  ap- 
praised only  at  fourteen  shillings  and  sixpence.  And, 
while  not  a  cent  of  silver-ware  graced  the  cupboard  of 
the  pastor,  the  deacon  was  possessed  oi  five  large  and 
three  tea  spoons  of  that  precious  metal. 

This  inventory,  too,  shows  the  change  that  had 
come  over  the  spirit  of  the  age,  from  the  times  of 
Carver  and  Standish,  when  every  man  was  a  soldier, 
or  even  that  later  period,  when  the  church  itself  was 
turned  into  a  fortress  ;  for  we  find,  as  the  only  relics 
of  his  martial  equipment,  "  one  sword  "  and  "  one  gun- 
lock." 

But,  instead  of  carnal  weapons,  we  find  him  the 
possessor  of  one  "  negro  man ;  "  and  that,  while 
the  good  man's  pew  in  his  meeting-house  was  esti- 
mated at  but  twenty-three  pounds  six  shillings  and 
eightpence,  this  negro  man,  with  the  "  negro  bed  "  he 
occupied,  were  valued  at  forty-one  pounds  one  shilling 
and  fourpence. 

Of  the  remaining  inventory,  that  of  Nathan  Ames, 
of  Bridgewater,  in  1756,  amounting  to  five  hundred 
and  twenty  pounds,  y?i;e  shillings  was  the  sum  total  of 
his  library ;  while  one  looking-glass  served  the  entire 
family,  and  one  pillion  was  the  only  vehicle  of  trans- 


CENTENNIAL  CELEBRATION.  69 

portation  for  the  fairer  members  of  it  to  church  or  to 
tea-parties. 

In  neither  of  these  four  inventories  do  we  find 
either  a  watch  or  a  clock.  In  neither  of  those  of 
Bridgewater  was  there  an  article  of  silver-plate,  even 
to  a  teaspoon.  Nor  was  there,  in  either  of  the  four, 
a  carpet  of  any  kind.  And  the  nearest  approach  to  a 
piano,  in  any  of  them,  was  the  spinning-wheel,  the 
hum  of  whose  music  was  heard  in  every  household  in 
that  day. 

And  yet  we  may  judge,  from  a  comparison  of  sta- 
tistics, that  her  growth  had  been  constant  and 
healthy,  and  had  more  than  kept  pace  with  her  sister 
towns. 

In  1696,  she  stood,  in  the  rate  of  taxation,  the 
forty-eighth  in  the  Province;  in  1721,  she  had  grown 
to  be  the  sixteenth  in  valuation;  in  1755,  she  stood 
the  ninth  in  the  Province,  and  above  any  other  town 
in  Plymouth  County ;  and,  in  1775,  had  risen  to  be 
the  eighth  in  valuation  in  the  whole  Province  of 
Massachusetts  Bay. 

And  if  we  look,  for  a  moment,  at  the  part  she  took 
in  the  war  of  the  Revolution,  we  shall  find  that  she 
never  withheld  the  fruits  of  her  prosperity  from  the 
common  cause  in  which  they  were  engaged. 

Let  us  bear  in  mind,  that  at  no  time  during  the 
war  did  her  male  population,  above  the  age  of  six- 
teen, and  able  to  bear  arms,  probably  exceed  a  thou- 
sand. 


70  BRIDGEWATER 

I  am  unable  eA^en  to  approximate  the  number  of 
her  troops  which  were  in  the  service  under  the  call 
of  the  Province  and  State ;  but  I  have  been  shown 
seven  requisitions  for  the  Continental  service,  made 
upon  the  town  from  1779  to  1781,  which  amounted 
to  four  hundred  and  twelve  men  in  this  space  of  three 
years. 

When  we  remember  what  a  large  proportion  of 
the  productive  labor  of  the  town  was  thus  withdrawn, 
we  shall  the  more  readily  appreciate  the  extent  of 
the  burden  which  fell  upon  those  who  remained  at 
home. 

Making  allowance  for  the  depreciation  of  money, 
they  must  have  paid,  in  1776  and  1777,  more  than 
three  thousand  dollars  in  money. 

In  1778  and  1779,  they  contributed  each  year,  in 
shoes,  stockings,  and  shirts,  for  the  army,  a  number 
next  to  Boston  itself;  and  the  beef  which  they  fur- 
nished upon  requisition  for  the  army,  during  1780, 
must  have  amounted  to  more  than  five  thousand 
dollars,  at  the  rated  value  which  it  bore  in  the 
market. 

I  have  mentioned  these,  not  as  showing  the  aggre- 
gate of  her  sacrifices,  but  as  samples  of  what  this 
town,  in  common  with  the  whole  of  Massachusetts, 
contributed  towards  achieving  the  independence  of 
our  country. 

I  would  gladly  turn  to  the  rolls  of  the  Provincial 
and  Continental  troops  of  that  period,  and  point  out 


J 


CENTENNIAL  CELEBRATION.  71 

the  names  standing  there ;  or  go  to  the  files  of  our 
treasury-office,  and  there  sum  up  the  amounts  of 
money  which  were  paid  into  the  public  chest  by  the 
people  of  this  town  to  carry  on  that  war. 

But  time  will  not  admit  of  this ;  nor,  if  it  did, 
would  it  do  justice  to  the  individual  actors  by  whom 
it  was  contributed. 

It  is  little  more  than  an  abstraction  to  tell  how 
many  men  or  how  much  money  this  or  that  town  fur- 
nished during  the  Revolution. 

We  must  go  on  to  the  farms  and  into  the  dwellings 
of  the  people  of  these  towns  to  understand  who  were 
these  men,  and  whence  came  this  money.  Mothers 
giving  up  their  sons  to  the  dangers  of  the  field,  and 
the  still  more  fearful  perils  of  the  camp;  husbands 
leaving  to  their  wives  the  double  task  of  the  farm  and 
the  household,  —  are  but  among  the  incidents  of 
these  local  histories.  There  is  not  a  dwelling-house 
in  any  of  these  ancient  towns,  which  was  standing 
when  that  struggle  began,  that  could  not  tell  of  days 
and  nights  of  incessant  toil,  of  self-denial,  and  patient, 
unrepining  self-sacrifice  on  the  part  of  its  inmates,  as, 
year  after  year,  new  burdens  were  imposed  upon  their 
feeble,  wasting  resources. 

But  I  cannot  dwell  upon  this  point  of  our  subject 
any  farther  than  to  say,  that  posterity  will  never 
know  as  they  ought  that  the  war  of  the  Revolution 
was  quite  as  essentially  fought,  and  victory  achieved, 
through  what  was  done  within  these  humble  dwell- 


72  BRIDGEWATER 

ings  by  the  wives  and  mothers  of  that  race,  as  by 
the  prowess  of  arms  and  the  courage  of  the  battle- 
field. 

From  scenes  like  these,  I  turn  to  the  changes  which 
the  century  that  was  then  opening  has  wrought  within 
this  community. 

We  sometimes  forget  how  brief  is  the  period 
within  which,  in  our  own  country,  great  revolutions 
are  effected.  We  measure  the  periods  of  early  Eng- 
lish history  by  centuries  and  by  ages,  —  the  six 
hundred  years  of  the  Roman  dominion,  the  four 
hundred  of  Saxon  rule,  and  the  long  succession  of 
cycles  and  years  before  the  human  mind  began  to 
expand  and  grow  free  in  the  dawning  light  of  civili- 
zation. 

But  here  there  are  those  still  living  in  our  own 
Commonwealth,  within  the  space  of  whose  life  is 
embraced  one-half  of  the  entire  period  of  this  people's 
history. 

And  yet  what  changes  do  its  social  and  economical 
statistics  present! 

The  goodly  territory  for  which,  as  its  original  title- 
deed  shows,  there  were  paid  seven  coats,  nine  hatchets, 
eight  hoes,  twenty  knives,  four  moose-skins,  and  ten  and 
one-half  yards  of  cotton,  has  been  multiplied  into  four 
thriving,  independent  communities.  Its  sons  have 
gone  out  to  people  other  regions,  and  swell  the  num- 
bers of  other  communities ;  while  its  population  has 
grown  to  more  than  three  times  the  number  which  it 


CENTENNIAL  CELEBRATION.  73 

contained  when  the  century  began.  Wealth  has  been 
gathering  here  in  a  still  greater  ratio,  till  its  aggre- 
gate has  almost  reached  the  sum  of  five  millions  of 
dollars.  Her  schools  have  multiplied,  till  fifty-three 
are  open  for  the  education  of  her  twenty- three  hun- 
dred children,  besides  three  academies  for  the  higher 
branches  of  instruction,  and  a  normal  school  to  give 
completeness  to  the  system. 

And  if,  in  addition  to  these,  we  seek  to  measure 
the  results  of  her  manufacturing  and  mechanical 
industry,  the  statistics  just  published  by  the  Legisla- 
ture exhibit  an  aggregate  of  more  than  two  million  of 
dollars  by  the  year. 

There  may  be  richer  communities,  there  may  be 
regions  where  Nature  has  been  more  lavish  in  her 
beauties  and  her  bounty,  there  may  be  localities  bet- 
ter known  to  fame,  than  that  where  we  are  now 
assembled ;  but  where  need  we  look  for  more  certain 
elements  of  social  and  individual  comfort  and  inde- 
pendence and  happiness  than  are  shared  upon  this 
portion  of  the  heritage  of  a  free  people? 

If,  compared  with  some  regions  of  ripe  fertility,  its 
soil  be  hardy,  it  breeds  no  miasma  to  paralyze  or 
poison  the  arm  that  tills  it. 

If  the  breeze  that  sweeps  over  it  be  at  times 
piercing  and  chill,  it  brings  no  pestilence  in  its  train 
to  blanch  the  ruddy  glow  of  health.  And  if,  under 
circumstances  like  these,  the  world  has  high  claims 

10 


74  BRIDGEWATER 

upon  those  who  have  shared  in  the  benefits  and  advan- 
tages which  are  here  enjoyed,  I  greatly  misjudge,  or 
we  should  find,  if  we  were  to  pursue  the  inquiry, 
that  they  have  not  been  unfaithful  to  the  trust  with 
which  they  have  been  charged. 

Delicacy  forbids  me  to  speak  of  the  living  by  name, 
however  glad  we  might  be  to  honor  the  men  who 
have  shared  the  public  confidence  and  our  own.  Of 
its  citizens,  five  have  represented  this  district  in  the 
Congress  of  the  United  States.*  Another  of  her  sons, 
after  twenty-four  years'  service  in  the  halls  of  Con- 
gress, closed  his  public  career  as  the  second  officer 
of  the  Commonwealth,  and  has  come  back  to  finish  a 
long  and  useful  life  amidst  the  scenes  where  that  life 
began,  j" 

And  there  have  been  others  to  whom  it  would  be 
grateful  to  allude,  who  have  stood  before  the  public  as 
the  honored  exponents,  in  church  and  commonwealth, 
of  the  tone  of  morals,  and  measure  of  intelligence, 
which  have  characterized  this  community. 

But,  while  I  have  spoken  of  the  local  incidents  and 
events,  I  have  not  attempted  to  follow  into  other 
communities,  and  upon  wider  or  more  distant  spheres 
of  action,  the  many  who  have  gone  out  from  the 
bosom  of  such  a  mother. 


*  Eev.  Dr.  Eeed,  Hon.  Nahum  Mitchell,  Hon.  William  Baylies,  Hon.  Aaron  Ho- 

bart,  and  Hon.  Artemas  Hale,  the  three  last  of  whom  were  present  on  this  occasion. 

t  Hon.  John  Reed,  for  many  years  of  Yarmouth,  which  district  he  represented 

in  Coneress. 


CENTENNIAL  CELEBRATION.  75 

But  go  where  you  may,  —  into  the  country,  or  the 
populous  marts  of  commerce ;  to  the  east  or  the  west ; 
through  peopled  regions  of  the  old  States,  or  the 
forest-homes  and  cities  and  villages  of  the  new,  —  we 
find  her  sons,  or  her  sons'  sons,  doing  battle  by  the 
side  of  the  hardy,  the  wise,  and  the  strong  men  of 
the  land.  I  find  them  healing  the  sick,  preaching 
in  the  pulpit,  and  pleading  at  the  bar,  —  on  the  bench, 
and  in  the  halls  of  legislation.  I  see  them  reaping 
the  fruits  of  industry  and  skill  on  the  farm  and 
in  the  workshop,  and  sharing  the  rewards  of  com- 
mercial enterprise  and  prosperous  industry  in  a  thou- 
sand forms. 

I  follow  them  also  into  the  fields  of  literature, 
read  the  deep  thoughts  and  treasured  lore  of  the  scho- 
lar, and  feel  my  blood  tingle  and  my  soul  refreshed 
by  the  inspired  pages  of  the  poet. 

Do  you  ask  for  names  with  which  to  fill  this  pic- 
ture, and  with  which  to  justify  the  language  in  which 
I  have  indulged  1  It  was  the  son  of  a  Bridgewater 
father,*  who,  when  the  fate  of  the  British  treaty  hung 
in  doubtful  poise,  and  the  cloud  of  war  rose  dark 
over  an  impoverished  nation,  in  tones  of  eloquence 
that  have  never  been  surpassed,  rolled  back  that 
cloud,  and  gave  to  his  country  peace  and  prosperity, 


*  Hon.  Fisher  Ames  was  the  son  of  Dr.  Nathaniel  Ames,  who  removed  from 
Bridgewater  to  Dedham,  and  a  lineal  descendant  from  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  the 
town. 


76  BRIDGEWATER 

that  made  her  great  among  the  greatest  nations  of 
the  earth. 

And,  if  time  permitted  me  to  speak  of  the  men  of 
my  own  profession  here,  the  name  of  Oakes  Angier 
would  stand  out  prominently  among  the  number  by 
the  acknowledged  eminence  he  attained  at  the  bar 
of  the  old  colony.* 

Take  up  the  catalogue  of  those  who,  on  the  bench 
and  in  the  councils  of  the  State  and  nation,  have  held 
places  of  honor  and  trust,  and  count  up  how  many  of 
the  names  that  you  find  there  you  have  read  in  those 
records,  and  upon  the  mossy  headstones  which  tell 
where  your  own  kindred  are  sleeping,  —  the  Shaws, 
the  Haywards,  the  Whitmans,  the  Mitchells,  the 
Reeds,  the  Ameses,  the  Forbeses,  and  the  San- 
gers.f 


*  The  following  extract,  from  an  epitaph  which  is  inscribed  upon  a  monument 
in  the  ancient  cemetery  in  West  Bridgewater,  is  from  the  pen  of  the  late  Hon.  Judge 
Davis :  — 

"  Oakes  Angier,  Esq.,  Bakrister-at-Law,  departed  this  life,  Sept.  1, 1786,  in 
the  forty-first  year  of  his  age,  and  here  lies  interred. 

"  With  a  mind  vigorous  and  penetrating,  assiduous  and  indefatigable  in  busi- 
ness, he  soon  arrived  to  eminence  in  his  profession. 

"  Seventeen  years'  practice  at  the  bar,  with  fidelity,  integrity,  and  ability, 
established  his  reputation  and  improved  his  fortune,  but  too  fatally  injured  his  con- 
stitution in  the  meridian  of  life." 

Judge  Davis,  Lieutenant-Governor  Robbins,  and  the  late  Hon.  Pliny  Merrick, 
father  of  Judge  Merrick,  of  the  Supreme  Judicial  Court,  were  among  those  who 
studied  law  in  his  ofiice. 

t  Without  undertaking  to  enumerate  these,  it  may  be  proper  to  name  Chief 
Justice  Shaw,  grandson  of  the  Rev.  John  Shaw;  Hon.  Ezekiel  Whitman,  late 
Chief  Justice  of  Maine;  Hon.  Charles  E.  Forbes,  late  Judge  of  our  Supreme  Court; 
and  Hon.  George  P.  Sanger,  Judge  of  the  Court  of  Common  Pleas,  the  grandson  of 
Bev.  Dr.  Sanger. 


CENTENNIAL  CELEBRATION.  77 

And  as  I  glance  at  the  roll  of  the  present  Congress, 
and  find  a  name  there  three  times  repeated,  I  shall 
hardly  be  charged  with  indelicacy  if  I  recall  the  part 
which  the  first  who  bore  it  took,  after  his  traditionary 
connection  with  the  Massachusetts  colony  had  ceased, 
as  one  of  the  Duxbury  men,  in  the  event  which  we 
are  now  commemorating.* 

Or,  if  we  look  for  what  her  sons  have  done  in  the 
fields  of  literature,  though  time  forbids  me  to  dwell 
upon  so  pleasant  a  theme,  —  while  we  have  no  cause 
to  fear  that  poesy  will  not  be  found  this  day  wedded 
to  a  name  now  familiar  here,  —  if  I  speak  of  the  past, 
I  have  only  to  open  upon  that  sublime  triumph  of 
genius  over  death  itself,  the  "  Thanatopsis,"  to  know 
that  one  at  least  of  the  "  Poets  of  America  "  has  but 
added  renown  to  a  name  which  is  associated  with  the 
memory  of  the  dwellers  upon  this  spot.j* 

I  have  spoken  of  the  past ;  but  what  am  I  to  say 
of  the  future  of  this  people,  and  of  our  common  coun- 


*  John  Washburn  is  believed  to  have  been  the  first  Secretary  of  the  Massachu- 
setts Company  before  the  transfer  of  the  charter  to  Massachusetts.  He  was  born 
in  Evesham,  in  the  county  of  Worcester,  and  settled  in  Duxbury  as  early  as  1632, 
where  he  was  joined  by  his  family,  consisting  of  his  wife  and  two  sons,  in  1635. 
His  son  John  married  a  daughter  of  Experience  Mitchell ;  and  from  him  the  branches 
now  so  numerous  and  widely  scattered  have  descended.  One  of  his  sons  married  a 
grand-daughter  of  Mary  Chilton,  from  whom  have  sprung  a  numerous  posterity,  and 
through  which  the  writer  is  allowed  to  lay  claim  to  affinity  with  one  of  the  early 
settlers  of  this  town. 

t  Bryant  —  for  he  needs  no  other  distinctive  name  —  was  the  son  of  a  physician 
boru  in  Bridgewater,  himself  the  son  of  a  physician  who  was  born  and  always 
resided  in  this  town. 


78  BRIDGEWATER 

try  1  There  are  those  to  whose  vision  a  darker  cloud 
is  rising  over  the  land  than  has  ever  threatened  it 
before,  —  a  cloud  of  discord  and  disunion,  from  which 
even  the  reflected  glory  of  the  past  gives  back  no  bow 
of  hope. 

And  it  cannot  be  denied  that  there  is  enough  to 
excite  deep  apprehension  in  the  stoutest  heart  in  the 
events  of  the  last  few  weeks. 

We  look  in  vain  for  protection  or  redress  in  the 
excited  passions  of  political  strife.  The  only  hope 
that  seems  left  to  us  is  to  be  just  to  ourselves ;  to  keep 
this  moral  malaria  within  its  own  sphere,  by  shutting 
out  its  influence  from  our  borders.  Let  there  be 
union  of  heart  and  union  of  sentiment  among  free 
men ;  let  the  united  action  of  one  section  no  longer 
triumph  in  the  divisions  and  personal  and  party  jea- 
lousies of  the  other,  —  and  the  hour  of  danger  and 
apprehension  will  have  passed. 

And  is  there  not  hope  from  the  very  extremity  of 
danger  that  we  seem  to  have  reached'?  Will  not  the 
blood  that  has  been  spilt  in  the  senate-chamber  of 
the  nation  —  in  a  brutal  and  cowardly  blow,  struck, 
through  a  representative  of  a  free  State,  at  constitu- 
tional right,  the  honor  of  our  own  honored  Common- 
wealth, and  the  cause  of  liberty  in  the  world  — 
become  an  element  to  cement  the  divided  counsels 
and  call  forth  the  united  action  of  every  man  who 
dares  or  deserves  to  be  free  1     Let  this  be  done,  and 


CENTENNIAL  CELEBRATION.  79 

every  thing  is  done ;  every  other  element  is  already 
shaped  at  our  hand. 

From  elements  such  as  we  have  been  considering, 
there  can  come  no  danger  to  the  cause  of  human 
liberty  and  human  progress.  The  little  community 
of  whose  history  I  have  so  imperfectly  spoken,  is  but 
one  of  a  thousand  others  where  there  is  a  reserved 
power  cherished  and  kept  alive,  and  ready  for  any 
emergency. 

Neither  schools  nor  churches,  nor  the  hallowed 
associations  of  home,  have  ceased  to  educate  and 
refine  the  intellect  and  affections ;  nor  have  free  dis- 
cussion and  a  free  press  become  impotent  to  arouse 
to  action  a  love  of  country  among  a  people  to  whom 
the  past  has  so  much  of  pride,  and  the  future  is  so  full 
of  promise. 

Fraud  may  triumph  for  a  day,  and  injustice  may 
wreak  its  power  here  and  there  upon  its  victim ;  but, 
thank  God,  there  is  a  power  greater  than  these,  —  a 
power  that  breaks  through  the  chains  of  error,  and 
will  bid  man  at  last  be  free. 


"  Truth,  crushed  to  earth,  -will  rise  again; 
The  eternal  years  of  God  are  hers." 


A  mighty  destiny  is  before  us  as  a  people.  The  glo- 
rious problem  of  human  development  and  human 
freedom  is  being  wrought  out  on  the  theatre  of  this 
vast  republic.      In  its  accomplishment  will  be  seen 


80  BRIDGEWATER 

the  fruits  of  that  enterprise  which  was  cradled  in  that 
little  church  at  Scrooby,  and  reared  by  the  watchful- 
ness and  prayers  of  good  men,  and  found  a  congenial 
home  here  two  hundred  and  thirty-six  years  ago. 

Every  spot  in  the  old  colony  is  rich  with  the  deeds 
and  virtues  of  the  Puritans  and  their  descendants. 
Every  spot  has  sent  forth  seed,  which,  borne  like 
that  of  the  thistle  on  every  wind,  has  been  scattered 
and  has  sprung  up  in  every  region  of  this  continent. 

Reversing  the  law  that  seeks  to  renovate  the  decre- 
pitude of  years  by  transfusing  young  blood  into  the 
torpid  veins  of  age,  the  blood  that  has  gone  out  from 
these  ancient  bodies  politic  is  found  invigorating  and 
infusing  fresh  life  into  the  young  communities  that 
have  sprung  up  in  the  forests  of  the  East  and  along 
the  rivers  and  prairies  of  the  constantly  widening 
West. 

Wherever  white  men  have  fixed  their  homes, 
among  them  have  these  sons  of  the  old  colony  been 
busy  in  rearing  the  schoolhouse  and  the  church, 
in  scattering  New-England  notions  and  sentiments, 
and  planting  institutions  which  have  tempered  and 
modified  and  assimilated  the  masses  that  have  been 
crowding  to  our  shores,  into  a  national,  free,  American 
republic.  They  forget  the  moral  power  of  that  engine 
and  these  influences  who  look  with  such  seeming 
apprehension  upon  the  influx  of  strangers  from  the 
Old  World ;  as  if  the  mere  physical  strength  of  thews 


CENTENNIAL  CELEBRATION.  81 

and  sinews  could  stand  against  the  moral  and  intel- 
lectual power  of  the  trained,  educated,  self-governed 
denizens  of  the  soil ! 

In  this  great  work  of  harmonizing  and  national- 
izing our  common  country ;  in  carrying,  as  it  were,  the 
borders  of  New  England  clear  across  this  wide  con- 
tinent ;  in  planting  new  Ply  mouths  on  the  shores  of 
the  Pacific,  and  new  Bridgewaters  in  the  valleys  of  the 
"West,  —  old  Bridgewater  has  borne  an  honored  part. 

And  now  her  sons  and  her  sons'  sons  have  come 
together,  around  the  old  domestic  hearthstone,  to 
renew,  in  the  memories  and  associations  of  the  past, 
the  ties  that  once  bound  them  to  this  spot,  and  the 
obligations  they  owe  to  their  country  and  their  gene- 
ration to  spread  and  perpetuate  the  good  old  senti- 
ments and  habits  and  opinions  that  found  so  congenial 
a  soil  in  this  early  home  of  our  fathers. 

And,  if  they  find  that  prosperous  industry  and 
thrift  have  been  at  work  in  changing  old  familiar 
scenes,  the  generous  heart  that  bade  even  the  stranger 
welcome  in  days  of  yore  still  beats  as  warmly  as  it 
then  did ;  and,  though  the  latch-string  has  disappeared 
in  the  progress  of  refinement,  hospitality  still  opens 
its  door  as  wide  to  all  who  would  come  and  share  its 
comforts  and  its  courtesies. 

Two  centuries  have  now  closed  their  record  of  the 

fortunes  of  this  people,  and  left  their  memorial  in 

the  brief  yet  crowded  page  of  their  history. 

II 


82  BRIDGEWATER 

We  can  go  back,  at  a  glance,  to  the  feeble,  strug- 
gling infancy  and  childhood  of  this  community ;  but 
its  future  we  can  only  read  in  the  light  of  the  past. 
In  that  light  we  have  every  thing  to  hope,  and  little 
to  apprehend. 

A  new  century  is  opening  amidst  the  stirring 
scenes,  the  energized  thought,  the  free,  onward  move- 
ment, of  the  nineteenth  century,  developed  in  its  full 
maturity. 

It  will  close  over  other  actors,  and  after  changes 
which  no  human  vision  can  now  reach ;  and  happy 
will  it  be  if  it  shall  witness  fruition  as  unimpaired  and 
hopes  as  bright  as  those  which  mark  its  opening  day. 

And  standing,  as  we  do,  on  that  narrow  point, 
where,  turning  from  the  past,  fancy  calls  up  the  sha- 
dowy forms  that  crowd  the  vision  of  the  future,  I 
cannot  better  close  this  poor  effort  to  do  justice  to 
our  theme  than  in  the  language  of  one  whom  any 
community  might  be  proud  to  call  her  own :  — 


"  My  heart  is  awed  within  me  when  I  think 
Of  the  great  miracle  that  still  goes  on 
In  sUeuce  round  me,  —  the  perpetual  work 
Of  a  creation  finished,  yet  renewed 
For  ever. 

Lo !  all  grow  old,  and  die ;  but  see  again, 
How,  on  the  faltering  footsteps  of  decay, 
Youth  presses ! 

Life  mocks  the  idle  hate 
Of  his  arch-enemy  Death;  yea,  seats  himself 
Upon  the  tjTant's  throne,  —  the  sepulchre, — 
And  of  the  triumphs  of  his  ghastly  foe 
Makes  his  own  nourishment." 


CENTENNIAL  CELEBRATION.  83 


The   Boston   Brass   Band   played   an   appropriate 
piece  of  music. 


James  Reed,  A.  B.,  of  Boston,  delivered  the  fol- 
lowing — 

POEM. 

Time  has  always  been  a  river, 

And  eternity  its  sea, 
Where,  upon  some  leaf  or  sliver, 

Men  have  floated  ceaselessly. 

Now  'midst  verdure  never  ending, 
Now  'mid  deserts  brown  and  bare. 

Is  the  mighty  river  wending, 

Who  can  tell  us  whence  or  where  ? 

Ever  changing  is  the  current 

Of  the  vast,  mysterious  stream  : 
Here  it  swells  into  a  tori-ent. 

There  'tis  like  an  infant's  dream. 

We,  who  down  the  stream  are  sailing, 
Guide  our  craft  in  different  ways ; 

Some  with  mournful  noise  of  wailing, 
Some  with  songs  of  hope  and  praise. 

Down  we  float  'mid  joy  and  sorrow, 

Hatred  cold  and  friendship  fond. 
Craving  sunshine  for  the  morrow 

In  the  depths  which  lie  beyond. 


84  BRIDGEWATER 

Why  keep  crying,  "  Wliither  ?  whither  ? 

Watchman,  tell  us  of  the  night "  ? 
Surely  He  who  brought  us  hither 

Will  direct  our  course  aright. 

As  the  river,  circling  ever, 
Once  again  will  come  in  sight 

Of  its  fountain,  witnessed  never 
Since  it  first  embraced  the  light ;  — 

So  upon  this  golden  morning, 
On  the  bosom  of  the  waves, 

For  a  timely  word  of  warning. 
Come  we  to  our  fathers'  graves. 

Looking  o'er  the  fields  and  meadows 
Which  unnoticed  lie  between. 

Indistinct  as  evening  shadows. 
Figures  of  the  past  are  seen. 

As  the  sun  is  ever  lifting 
Ocean's  vapors  to  the  sky. 

So  from  out  the  past  come  drifting 
Memories  of  the  days  gone  by. 

Fathers,  mothers,  rise  before  us, 
Quick  to  hear  affection's  call ; 

While  the  arch  which  closes  o'er  us 
Shields  the  homesteads  of  us  all. 

Down  we  float,  and  leave  to  others 
Words  of  hate  and  angry  scorn ; 

While  we  turn,  a  band  of  brothers, 
Back  to  the  ancestral  mom. 

Down  we  float,  and  soon  behind  us 

Leave  we  present  scenes  and  men. 
Wondering  where  this  day  wiU  find  us, 
*  Rolled  by  centuries  round  again. 


CENTENNIAL  CELEBRATION.  85 

Down  we  float,  believing,  knowing, 

That  no  evil  can  befall, 
"Wlien,  as  from  a  sun,  is  flowing 

Love  unbounded  for  us  all. 

Never  even  can  disaster 

Cast  its  shadow  o'er  a  dream, 
K  we  let  the  perfect  Master 

Guide  our  passage  down  the  stream. 


There  have  been  days,  as  well  we  know, 
Before  this  present  summer  morn ; 
And,  trusting  those  who  tell  us  so, 
Time  was  ere  we  ourselves  were  born. 

And,  looking  down  the  rugged  hill 
Up  which  the  past  has  borne  the  cross, 
The  landscape  sleeps,  sei'ene  and  still. 
Though  overgrown  with  weeds  and  moss. 

Full  many  an  anxious  heart  has  beat 
With  love  for  Jack  or  love  for  Jill ; 
Full  many  a  pair  of  pretty  feet 
Has  danced  or  loitered  up  the  hill. 

But  what  of  that  ?     In  bygone  things 
"We  seldom  claim  to  have  a  share ; 
Content  with  what  the  present  brings, 
J£  only  what  it  brings  be  fair. 

So  scenes  will  often  pass  from  mind 
Which  never  should  have  been  forgot ; 
Thus,  not  so  long  ago,  we  find 
The  town  of  Bridgewater  was  not. 

The  town  of  Bridgewater  was  not : 
How  comes  it  that  the  town  has  been  ? 
'Twas  purchased  in  a  single  lot 
Of  famous  old  Ousamequin. 


BRIDGEWATER 

Then  fifty-four  stout  men  arose 
To  take  the  land  for  good  or  worse, 
Whose  honest  names  will  do  for  prose, 
But  never  could  be  meant  for  verse. 

How  high  must  be  the  poet's  claims 
Who  meets  no  mental  scrapes  and  rubs 
In  putting  into  verse  the  names,  — 
Experience  Mitchell,  William  Tubbs ! 

For  though  experience  teaches  well. 
And  tubs  on  their  own  bottoms  stand, 
Theii's  hardly  is  the  magic  spell 
By  which  a  verse  is  made  to  hand. 

Experience,  if  he  married  well, 
To  lively  Sorrow  linked  his  hfe ; 
Nor  would  it  be  so  strange  to  tell 
If  Jioops  encircled  Tubbs's  wife. 

Experience,  if  a  child  he  had. 
To  call  her  Wisdom  scarce  could  fail ; 
While  Tubbs  need  not  have  felt  so  bad 
If  his  turned  out  a  little  pale. 

Forgive,  if  aught  which  I  have  said. 
Experience,  seems  to  mar  thy  fame : 
A  blessing,  Tubbs,  upon  thy  head ; 
I  jested  only  with  thy  name. 

A  blessing  on  the  brave  old  men 
From  whom  we  claim  a  common  birth ; 
Whom  earth  will  not  behold  again, 
Whose  virtues  cannot  pass  from  earth. 

All  honor  to  their  hoary  hair ! 
They  are  not  dead,  —  they  gently  sleep : 
For  us  were  all  their  grief  and  care ; 
They  sowed  the  field  which  we  shall  reap. 


CENTENNIAL  CELEBRATION.  87 

Oh !  chide  not  him  who  loves  to  roam 
Among  the  relics  of  the  past ; 
Who  calls  one  little  spot  his  home, 
And  clings  around  it  to  the  last. 

And  though  his  lineage  he  may  track 
"With  something  of  an  honest  pride, 
Who  caUs  it  crime  to  wander  back 
Among  the  noble  who  have  died  ? 

Not  how  our  fathers  passed  their  days 
The  present  bard  designs  to  sing  ; 
Nor  yet  the  wreath  of  feeble  praise 
Around  their  honored  brows  to  fling :  — 

But  from  the  volume  of  their  woes 
One  simple  chapter  will  he  take, 
Wherein  old  Winter  sheds  his  snows ; 
But  they  hve  on  for  Freedom's  sake. 

Next  come  the  joys  which  all  must  feel 
When  past  are  Winter's  dreary  hours  ; 
When  life  from  death  begins  to  steal, 
And  rosy  Spring  brings  back  the  flowers. 


How  fearful  the  tempests  which  howl  through  the  winters, 

Pursuing  the  mariner  over  the  sea; 
Which  dash  the  stout  heart  of  the  oak  into  splinters, 

And  show  us  how  terrible  Nature  can  be ! 

We  quietly  sit  by  the  family-fire. 

And  heed  not  the  tempest  which  howls  at  the  door, 
But  pile  up  the  logs  ever  higher  and  higher. 

Defying  old  Winter  a  thousand  times  o'er. 

"  Come  in  if  thou  canst,  and  give  over  thy  moaning, 
Who  turnest  to  ice  what  thou  breathest  upon. 

And  tell  us  how  many  this  moment  are  groaning 

O'er  mischief  which  thou  in  thy  madness  hast  done ;  — 


^w 


BRIDGEWATER 


"  How  many  are  wrapping  their  garments  around  them, 
Resigning  themselves  to  thy  rage  in  despair ; 

How  many  lie  dead  where  by  chance  thou  hast  found  them, 
Who  had  not  a  moment  to  murmur  a  prayer.     . 

"  Good  luck  betide  those  who  are  hopefuUy  braving, 
Thou  cruel  old  monster,  the  strength  of  thine  ire,  — 

The  heart-broken  wretches  who  fain  would  be  saving 
Their  one  spark  of  life  by  their  one  spark  of  fire ! " 

Oh,  pity !     Why  need  we  an  instant  to  borrow 

A  counterfeit  sadness  from  poem  or  tale, 
When  more  than  our  hearts  can  imagine  of  sorrow 

Goes  moaning  about  on  the  wings  of  the  gale  ? 

We  gather  to-day  beneath  Summer's  green  arches, 
And  Winter's  dominion  appears  like  a  dream  ; 

But  steadily  onward  old  Time  ever  marches. 
And  soon  the  bright  Summer  a  vision  will  seem. 

We  look  o'er  a  country  where  Plenty  is  reigning, 
And  pouring  the  blessings  of  Peace  from  her  horn, 

And  little  imagine  the  good  we  are  gaining 

From  those  who  had  died  ere  our  fathei-s  were  bom. 

They  came  o'er  the  sea  on  a  journey  of  peril ; 

Like  mists  of  the  morning  were  scattered  their  foes  ; 
And  fat  grew  the  land  which  before  had  been  sterile, 

And  straightway  the  wilderness  bloomed  hke  the  rose. 

With  logs  for  their  dwellings,  and  bears  for  their  neighbors, 
And  men  in  the  forest  more  fearful  than  bears. 

What  heart  could  prefigure  the  end  of  their  labors. 
Or  half  of  the  glory  and  praise  which  are  theirs  ? 

And,  oh !  when  the  tempests  of  winter  were  howling, 
And  claiming  admittance  through  cranny  and  crack ; 

When  every  thing  deadly  around  them  was  prowling, 
And  heaven's  blue  arches  were  curtained  with  black ;  — 


CENTENNIAL  CELEBRATION.  89 

When  out  of  the  woods  came  the  yell  of  the  foeman, 
The  heai't-broken  accent  of  maddened  despair, 

And  swiftly  the  shaft  of  the  bloody-red  bowman 

Flew,  piercing  the  snow-flakes  which  stifled  the  air,  — 

How  strangely  contrasted  the  sounds  which  were  blending  — 
The  din  of  the  storm,  and  the  foeman's  wild  cries  — 

With  prayers  which  were  evermore  gently  ascending 
To  Him  who  shall  wipe  away  tears  from  all  eyes ! 

And  fondly  sped  backward  their  thoughts  o'er  the  waters, 
To  homes  which  wei'e  happy,  and  might  be  their  own,  — 

Where  England  keeps  watch  o'er  her  sons  and  her  daughters, 
But  treats  not  so  kindly  the  birds  which  have  flown. 

A  truce  to  old  Winter :  though  dreadful  the  curses 
Which  follow,  like  birds  of  the  night,  in  his  train. 

We  love  him  almost  for  the  child  which  he  nurses,  — 
Our  beautiful  Spring,  with  her  sunlight  and  rain. 

Who  closes  the  door  when  the  blithe  little  maiden 
Comes  tripping  along  with  her  basket  of  flowers  ? 

Who  loves  not  the  treasures  with  which  she  is  laden. 

Whose  smile  is  the  sunshine,  whose  tears  are  the  showers  ? 

The  hearts  of  our  fathers  she  filled  with  her  gladness 
When  o'er  them  her  sweet-laden  breezes  she  poured. 

In  place  of  the  clouds  with  their  shadows  of  sadness. 
Which  seemed  like  the  menacing  wrath  of  the  Lord. 

No  more  need  the  men  their  alarms  to  dissemble, 

The  women  to  cover  their  faces  for  fright ; 
No  more  need  the  children  to  listen  and  tremble, 

Like  lambs  at  the  tread  of  the  wolf,  over  night. 

The  clouds  were  not  all  from  the  firmament  driven. 
When  Winter  had  taken  his  leave  of  the  stage ; 

But  Spring  set  her  rainbow  of  hope  in  the  heaven,  — 
The  spirit  of  childhood  for  that  of  old  age. 

12 


90  BRIDGEWATER 

What  load  is  so  great  that  it  cannot  be  lightened, 
"What  heart  is  so  old  that  it  will  not  grow  young, 

What  future  so  dark  that  it  will  not  be  brightened, 

If  brooks  have  but  murmured,  and  birds  have  but  sung? 

When  sunny-faced  Spring,  through  a  million  of  voices, 
Proclaims  to  the  earth  that  her  advent  is  near, 

The  kindly  old  mother  as  truly  rejoices 

As  when  the  first  sunlight  awoke  the  first  year. 

From  Winter's  deep  slumbers  she  joyfully  rises, 
And  flings  a  green  mantle  o'er  valleys  and  hills  ; 

Then  decks  herself  out  in  the  gems  which  she  prizes,  — 
A  necklace  of  lakes,  and  a  girdle  of  rills. 


This  day,  two  centuries  ago, 
Beneath  this  sky,  our  fathers  came, 
Resolved  to  plant,  for  weal  or  woe, 
The  scions  of  an  honest  name. 

To-day,  two  centuries  have  fled  ; 
And  we,  their  children,  come  to  see 
If  what  they  planted  here  is  dead, 
Or  fruit  is  hanging  from  the  tree. 

As  o'er  recorded  time  we  look. 
And  then  into  the  present  glare, 
We  wonder,  as  we  close  the  book. 
Which  picture  we  must  judge  more  fair. 

Is  that  which  hangs  upon  the  bough 
The  glory  of  the  parent  stem  ? 
Or  were  they  wiser  then  than  now  ? 
And  borrow  we  our  light  from  them  ? 

No  matter.     This  at  least  we  know. 
That,  whether  bright  or  dim  our  fires, 
They  must  with  wondrous  lustre  glow 
To  match  the  splendor  of  our  sires. 


CENTENNIAL  CELEBRATION.  91 

Our  lots  have  fallen  in  different  times : 
They  lived  in  winter,  cold  and  drear ; 
But  we  are  listening  to  the  chimes 
With  which  the  spring  awakes  the  year. 

Their  path  was  strewn  with  stony  cares, 
But  ours  is  full  of  hopeful  flowers ; 
The  labor  and  the  pain  were  theirs, 
While  all  the  fruitful  joy  is  ours. 

How  wondrous  is  the  lapse  of  time, 
The  heart  of  man  no  more  conceives 
Than  children  of  a  southern  clime 
Can  think  of  plants  without  their  leaves. 

Recall  the  days  when  wheels  were  rare, 
And  stages  never  passed  the  town ; 
When,  pillion-back,  a  loving  pair 
Rode  gravely  jogging  up  and  down. 

What  need  of  stage  or  omnibus. 
Without  a  road  where  wheels  could  range  ? 
Strange  passing  that  would  be  for  us ; 
In  truth,  it  would  be  passing  strange. 

How  wide  their  eyes  would  open  now, 
If  they  could  see  what  we  have  done ; 
Could  see  the  fruit  upon  the  bough, 
Which  ripens  in  the  morning  sun ! 

How  pleasant  it  would  be  to  show 
Our  gallery  of  modern  arts, 
Where  all  the  powers  which  move  below 
Are  taught  to  play  respective  parts ! 

How  full  their  souls  would  be  of  wonder, 
And  how  our  wiser  selves  would  laugh. 
If  they  beheld  that  son  of  thunder, 
Which  we  have  called  the  telegraph ! 


92  BRIDGEWATER 


"  My  ancient  friend,"  their  sons  might  say, 
"  Observe  our  modes  of  locomotion : 
Instead  of  fifty  miles  a  day, 
A  week  will  nearly  cross  the  ocean."    - 

"  I  know,  my  son,"  the  sage  replies, 
"  The  age  of  pillions  long  is  past ; 
But  now  the  danger  in  my  eyes 
Is  lest  you  get  a  bit  too  fast." 

"  Again,  good  sires,  be  pleased  to  see 
Another  jewel  in  our  crown  : 
The  sun  takes  portraits,  so  that  we 
To  future  time  can  hand  them  down." 

"  My  sons,"  'tis  answered  with  a  frown, 
"  K  you  forget  the  shaving-cup, 
Though  you  may  hand  your  faces  down. 
We'll  thank  you  not  to  hand  them  up." 

What  man  who  sees  the  ages  rise, 
And  notes  the  changes  which  they  bring, 
Can  marvel  that  our  partial  eyes 
Should  judge  the  present  season  spring? 

From  out  the  darkness  of  the  past 
So  many  wonders  have  been  born, 
That  we  appear  to  sit  at  last 
Upon  the  threshold  of  the  mom. 

A  wondrous  stem  and  sturdy  stock 
Was  that  from  which  we  claim  descent : 
Their  faith  was  like  the  steadfast  rock ; 
Their  lives,  a  deathless  monument. 

No  doubtful  hate  within  them  burning 
Impelled  them  to  a  doubtful  field ; 
But  hearts  resolved  upon  returning, 
Like  Spartan,  with  or  on  the  shield. 


CENTENNIAL  CELEBRATIO'N.  93 

Can  wrong  usurp  the  place  of  right  ? 
And  can  the  changeless  laws  be  changed  ? 
Or  must  the  darkness  and  the  light, 
Divided  once,  be  kept  estranged  ? 

In  truth,  what  we  esteem  a  sin 

Was  virtue  in  the  days  of  old ; 

And  what  they  spurned  as  glittering  tin, 

We  treasure  as  the  solid  gold. 

We  like,  the  most  of  us,  to  dance. 

Or  spend  an  evening  at  a  play ; 

While  they  would  rather  take  their  chance 

At  drinking  poison  any  day. 

They  thought  it  was  a  gracious  deed 
To  bring  a  Quaker  to  his  end ; 
While  only  in  extremest  need 
We  kill  a  foe,  much  less  a  friend. 

And  how  their  pious  eyes  would  glow 
When  witches  at  the  stake  were  burned ! 
But  we  caress  our  witches  so, 
That  all  the  tables  now  are  turned. 

Although  a  witch  may  be  a  thing 
Which  should  be  rapped  upon  the  head, 
'Tis  time  to  stop  our  cudgelling, 
If  she  will  rap  us  back  when  dead. 

With  guilt  which  they  trod  in  the  dust. 
Their  sons,  we  hope,  are  gently  dealing : 
'Tis  one  thing  to  be  strictly  just. 
Another  to  have  kindly  feeling. 

But  while  forgiveness  we  bestow 
Upon  the  sinner,  not  the  sin. 
We  must  not  fail  to  strike  the  blow 
When  fear  alone  would  hold  us  in. 


94  BKIDGEWATER 

A  little  more  of  self-respect, 
While  travelling  in  the  path  of  right, 
Would  make  our  journey  more  direct, 
And  throw  more  day  upon  our  night. . 

Though  age  may  often  find  it  hard 
To  gather  all  its  dues  from  youth, 
'Tis  better  than  that  blind  regard 
Should  swallow  up  the  living  truth. 

The  honest  lives  our  fathers  led, 
Blame  ye  who  can  defend  your  own : 
"  The  sinless  man,"  it  has  been  said, 
'•  Shall  be  the  first  to  cast  a  stone." 

Their  vii'tues  we  must  all  applaud, 
Who  have  a  care  for  real  worth : 
If  such  were  scattered  more  abroad, 
'Twould  be  the  better  for  the  earth. 

How  oft  from  yonder  spire  have  rung 
The  echoes  of  the  sabbath-bell  I  — 
A  summons  sweet  to  old  and  young 
To  draw  the  truth  from  truth's  own  well. 

The  word  of  God.  from  lips  inspired, 
They  heard,  and,  hearing,  they  adored ; 
And,  though  the  preacher  they  admired, 
They  came  to  worship  but  the  Lord. 

Within  the  mists  of  bygone  days, 
Which  wrap  the  past  as  in  a  cloud. 
Three  reverend  men  are  giving  praise, 
And  asking  blessings  on  the  crowd. 

A  blessing  in  the  name  of  truth 
Upon  the  shepherds  of  the  sheep. 
Who  labored  from  the  dawn  of  youth, 
Till  evening  brought  the  hour  of  sleep  ! 


CENTENNIAL  CELEBRATION.  95 

More  faithful  servants  who  can  find 
Than  these  to  work  the  work  of  God  ? 
What  men  have  left  more  fruit  behind 
To  mark  the  path  in  which  they  trod  ? 

And  thou,  whose  honored  name  is  mine 
To  tarnish  or  to  honor  still, 
For  whom  no  human  hand  can  twine 
A  wreath  which  will  become  thee  ill,  — 

Be  happy,  in  the  name  of  those 
Whom  thou  has  taught  the  ways  of  right, 
In  realms  where  duty  pleasure  grows, 
And  where  the  blind  receive  their  sight. 

Now,  the  benediction  uttered. 

Draws  our  service  to  its  close : 
Soon  must  parting  words  be  muttered. 

Soon  must  evening  bring  repose. 

Then  our  holiday  is  over, 

And  we  travel,  every  one,  — 
Father,  mother,  sister,  lover,  — 

Onward  to  the  setting  sun. 

Loving,  striving,  wishing,  hoping, 

Fond  and  anxious  hearts  we  bear ; 
Sadly  now  through  darkness  groping. 

Bending  now  to  breathe  a  prayer. 

Soon  the  lover  and  the  maiden 

Are  the  husband  and  the  wife, 
And,  with  common  burdens  laden, 

Sail  adown  the  stream  of  life  ;  — 

Soon  the  father  and  the  mother 

Teach  the  child  the  way  of  truth ; 
Soon  the  sister  and  the  brother 

Ripen  into  blushing  youth. 


96  BRIDGEWATER 

Then  comes  age,  as  sweet  and  simple 
As  the  infant  newly  born,  — 

Placid  lake  without  a  dimple, 
Waiting  for  the  coming  morn. 

Waiting !     Then  the  morn  is  coming, 
Reddening  all  the  eastern  sky  : 

Now  is  heard  a  distant  humming 
From  the  day  which  will  not  die. 

Waiting  !     All  of  us  are  waiting  ; 

And  the  youngest  child  who  hears. 
Even  now  his  bark  is  freig'htinff 

With  its  load  of  hopes  and  fears. 

When  the  next  assembly  gathers 
On  the  soil  which  now  we  tread. 

We  shall  be  the  honored  fathers, 
Numbered  with  the  living  dead. 

In  the  mail  of  self-denial 

We  must  arm  us  for  the  fray, 

Ere  the  hands  upon  the  dial 
Mark  the  limits  of  the  day. 

Honest  lives,  not  empty  phi'ases, 
Are  the  stuff  to  make  a  name 

Worthy  of  our  children's  praises, 
Worthy  of  our  fathers'  fame. 

Still  before  us  lies  the  river, 
With  its  tides  of  good  and  ill : 

There  we  may  lie  mute,  and  shiver. 
Or  be  saihng  where  we  will. 

Strike  when  iron  hoofs  are  tramping 
O'er  the  bodies  of  the  just ! 

Strike  when  guilty  Power  is  stamping 
Wounded  Freedom  in  the  dust ! 


CENTENNIAL  CELEBRATION.  97 

Strike  when  honest  men  are  lying 

By  the  hands  of  cowards  slain ! 
Strike  when  Abel's  blood  is  crying 

Vengeance  on  the  guilty  Cain  ! 

Love  the  slayer  and  the  slaughtered ! 

And,  as  love  grows  strong  with  years, 
May  their  future  graves  be  watered 

With  our  kind,  forgiving  tears  ! 


The  following  Hymn,  written  by  E,ev.  Daniel 
Huntington,  of  New  London,  was  sung  by  the  as- 
sembly, to  the  tune  of  "  Old  Hundred :  "  — 


God  of  our  fathers !  hear  the  song 

Their  grateful  sons  united  raise, 

While  round  their  hallowed  graves  we  throng 

To  think  and  speak  of  other  days,  — 

Those  days  of  toil  and  peril,  when. 
In  faith  and  love  that  conquered  fear, 
'They  bought  the  fields  of  savage  men, 
And  reared  their  homes  and  altars  here. 

To  thee  their  daily  vows  were  paid ; 
To  thee  their  hearts  and  lives  were  given ; 
And,  by  thy  guidance  and  thine  aid. 
They  trod  tlieir  pilgrim-path  to  heaven. 

Rich  is  the  heritage  we  claim. 
Whom  thou  hast  made  their  favored  heirs, — 
Their  cherished  faith,  their  honest  fame, 
Their  love,  their  counsels,  and  their  prayers. 
13 


98  BRIDGEWATER 

They  left  us  freedom,  honor,  truth : 
Oh,  may  these  rich  bequests  descend 
From  sire  to  son,  from  age  to  youth, 
And  bless  our  land  till  time  shall  end ! 

So,  as  successive  centuries  roll, 
Wlien  we  shall  long  have  passed  away, 
Here  may  our  sons,  with  heart  and  soul, 
Still  hail  Bridgewater's  natal  day. 

A   Benediction  was   pronounced   by  Rev.  Baalis 
Sanford,  of  East  Bridgewater. 


A  recess  of  twenty  minutes  was  taken,  when  a 
procession  was  formed,  of  persons  holding  tickets  for 
the  dinner,  in  the  same  order  as  the  procession  of  the 
morning,  and  marched  to  the  pavilion  erected  on 
the  easterly  side  of  the  main  street,  between  the 
houses  of  William  Copeland  and  Jonas  Leonard, 
where  J.  B.  Smith,  of  Boston,  had  provided  one  of 
his  excellent  dinners  for  a  thousand  persons.  A 
blessing  was  invoked  by  the  venerable  Dr.  Ken- 
dall, of  Plymouth.  After  those  who  sat  at  the 
tables  had  partaken  of  the  bountiful  refreshments 
which  had  been  laid  before  them,  thanks  were  re- 
turned by  E,ev.  Dr.  Edson,  of  Lowell. 


Hon.  John   A.  Shaw,  the  President  of  the  day, 
then  delivered  the  following  Address :  — 


CENTENNIAL  CELEBRATION.  99 


Felloav-Citizens    and    Descendants    of    the    good    old 
Town  of  Bridgewater, — 

The  pleasant  duty  has  been  assigned  me  of  bidding 
you  welcome  on  this  festal  occasion.  I  gladly  bid  you  a 
hearty  welcome  to  this  festive  board,  to  the  intellectual 
repast,  and  to  all  the  hallowed  associations  of  this  auspicious 
day.  It  is  a  great,  a  joyous  day,  which  brings  together  so 
many  of  us  at  the  old  family  homestead,  in  this  loveliest 
month  of  all  the  year,  when  Nature  is  putting  on  her  beau- 
tiful garments,  and  decking  herself  in  flowers. 

Ladies,  you  are  especially  welcome ;  for  it  would  be  dark 
around  our  hearth-stone  without  the  light  of  woman's  smile. 
We  hail  your  presence  at  this  board  as  the  companion  and 
equal  of  man.  Nothing  truly  good  or  great  ever  has  been 
or  can  be  effected  without  the  aid  of  woman.  She  was  the 
helpmate  of  our  fathers :  she  cheered  them  in  their  toils  and 
privations  at  the  same  time  that  she  shared  them. 

Though  many  of  us  are  now  in  each  other's  presence  for 
the  first  time,  we  are  not  strangers  to  each  other,  but 
brothers  and  sisters  of  one  and  the  same  household.  Yes, 
ladies  and  gentlemen,  a  common  bond  unites  us  as  the  mem- 
bers of  one  great  family  ;  for  we  all  cherish  in  common  a 
grateful  remembrance  of  our  pious  ancestors,  whose  presence 
hallowed  these  regions  two  hundred  years  ago.  We  embalm 
alike  in  our  hearts  the  recollection  of  their  toils,  their  pri- 
vations, and  their  dangers  ;  of  their  stern  integrity,  and 
strict  purity  of  life.  We  reverence  alike  their  unfaltering 
trust  in  God ;  their  indomitable  perseverance ;  and  their 
determined  purpose  to  enjoy  liberty  of  conscience,  and  trans- 
mit the  same  to  posterity.  While  cherishing  these  precious 
reminiscences  of  our  pious  forefathers,  we  are  not  strangers 
to  each  other,  but  brethren  of  one  heart  and  of  one  spirit. 

In  welcoming  you,  ladies  and  gentlemen,  to  a  participa- 
tion in  this  day's  services,  we  cannot  point  you  to  any 
localities   in  our  neighborhood  which  are  renowned  in  the 


100  BRIDGEWATER 

woi'ld's  history.  No  great  battle-fields,  on  which  the  fate  of 
nations  has  been  decided,  are  near  us.  We  can  direct  your 
admiring  gaze  to  no  Bunker  Hill,  no  Heights  of  Dorchester. 
But  look  around,  and  you  will  see  the  fields  on  which  have 
been  achieved  the  no  less  glorious  triumphs  of  peace, — 
fields  which,  generations  ago,  were  cleared  of  their  primeval 
forest  growth  and  cultivated  by  the  hands  of  men  of  whom 
the  Old  World  was  not  worthy  ;  men  of  whom  it  was  said, 
that  "  God  sifted  a  whole  nation  to  obtain  precious  seed  for 
sowing  this  Western  World."  To  such  men,  and  their  im- 
mediate successors,  we  can  look  back  as  our  progenitors  ; 
and,  when  our  eyes  rest  on  these  scenes  of  their  labors,  it  is 
a  grateful  reflection  that  these  territories  were  fairly  pur- 
chased of  their  aboriginal  possessors,  and  freely  granted  by 
them  to  our  fathers.  Not  far  from  the  place  where  we  are 
now  assembled,  you  can  read  the  humble  memorials  of  these 
men,  where  rest  their  mortal  remains :  — 


"  Their  mime,  their  years,  spelt  by  the  unlettered  Muse, 
The  place  of  fame  and  elegy  supply ; 
And  many  a  holy  text  around  she  strews, 
That  teach  the  rustic  moralist  to  die." 


In  setting  apart  this  day  for  the  commemoration  of  those 
good  men  who  first  settled  the  ancient  town,  we  express  our 
gratitude  to  our  Father  in  heaven  for  having  given  us  an 
ancestry  to  whom  we  can  ever  look  back  with  reverence. 
The  "  Memoir  of  Plymouth  Colony,"  *  when  speaking  of 
Bridgewater  as  it  was  in  1692,  remarks,  that  "  the  founda- 
tion was  laid  for  a  population,  which  subsequently  has  been 
distinguished  for  correct  moral  habits,  enterprise,  industry, 
and  learning."  From  another  source  f  we  have  the  following 
record,  made  a  hundred  and  thirty-nine  years  ago,  in  these 
words  :  "  The  New-English  Bridgewater  has  been  a  town 
favored  of  God.     It  was   planted  a  noble  vine.      The  first 

*  Francis  Baylies.  t  Increase  and  Cotton  Mather. 


CENTENNIAL  CELEBRATION.  101 

planters  of  it  were  a  set  of  people  who  made  religion  their 
main  interest,  and  it  became  their  glory." 

Although  the  names  of  our  ancestors  are  not  emblazoned 
on  the  rolls  of  fame,  they  gave  the  first  direction  and  im- 
pulse to  a  community,  which,  from  their  days  to  the  present 
time,  has  been  steadily  moving  onward  with  the  onward 
march  of  this  noble  Commonwealth,  of  this  mighty  nation. 
Though  they  were  not  themselves  of  those  whom  the  world 
calls  great,  the  example  of  their  virtues,  and  the  spirit  they 
bequeathed  to  their  posterity,  have  raised  up  not  a  few 
among  their  descendants,  whose  names  will  live  on  the  page 
of  history,  and  whose  services  will  be  felt  and  appreciated, 
long  after  their  frail  bodies  shall  have  mouldered  into  dust. 
In  confirmation  of  this,  I  will  remind  you  of  Fisher  Ames, 
the  enlightened  and  pure-hearted  statesman,  whose  eloquent 
tongue  uttered  the  accents  of  an  angel  with  an  angel's  power. 

Two  gentlemen*  are  now  living,  descendants  of  Bridge- 
water,  who  have  been  the  chief  magistrates  of  this  Common- 
wealth ;  one  of  whom,  as  you  know,  has  done  us  the  honor 
of  being  our  orator  to-day,  and  to  whose  eloquent  words  we 
have  listened  with  deepest  interest.  Also  there  are  now 
present  at  this  board  our  venerable  Chief  Justice,  and  another 
venerable  man,  the  late  Chief  Justice  of  the  State  of  Maine, 
likewise  descendants  f  of  the  ancient  town.  Of  the  five 
ex-members  of  Congress  now  residing  within  our  borders, 
four  of  whom  honor  us  with  their  presence  to-day,  two  were 
born  in  the  old  town,  one  of  whom  has  also  recently  been 
our  Lieutenant-Governor.^  Three  members  of  the  present 
Congress  are  among  her  descendants,  §  And  one  of  the 
beautiful  odes  which  have  moved  our  hearts  to-day  reminds 
us  that  there  are  those  ||  among  her  sons  who  can  — 

"  Wake  to  ecstasy  the  living  lyre." 


*  Marcus  Morton  and  Emory  Washburn. 

t  Lemuel  Shaw  and  Ezekiel  Whitman. 

t  John  Reed.        §  The  Washburns.        ||  W.  C.  Bryant. 


102  BRIDGEWATER 

Such  was  the  prosperity  of  the  ancient  Bridgewater  under 
the  wise  counsels  of  its  early  settlers,  that  it  contained,  one 
hundred  years  ago,  a  population  of  thirty-seven  hundred  ; 
a  greater  number  of  inhabitants  to  the  square  mile,  at  that 
early  day,  than  two-thirds  of  the  States  of  this  Union  have  at 
the  present  time,  old  Virginia  being  one  of  them.  Our 
population  is  now  approaching  fourfold  what  it  then  was  ; 
for  which  increase  we  are  principally  indebted  to  North 
Bridgewater,  which  has  at  the  present  time  as  numerous  a 
population  as  the  whole  of  the  old  town  had  M'hen  it  was 
divided  in  1821.  The  population  is  now  towards  two  hun- 
dred to  the  square  mile ;  considerably  greater  than  the 
average  of  our  populous  Commonwealth,  the  most  com- 
pactly peopled  State  in  the  Union.  Indeed,  but  few 
countries  of  Europe  have  as  many  inhabitants  to  the  square 
mile  as  the  territory  about  us  ;  and  this  with  no  extraordinary 
natural  advantages,  but  by  only  heeding  the  lessons  of  those 
who  have  gone  before  us,  —  men  who  bequeathed  in  their 
example  the  virtues  of  industry,  frugality,  and  perseverance, 
the  fear  of  God,  and  respect  for  the  rights  of  man. 

It  is  not  in  a  boastful  spirit  that  we  speak  of  the  pros- 
perity which  this  day  surrounds  us,  but,  we  trust,  in  the 
spirit  of  gratitude  to  that  beneficent  Being,  from  whose  free 
bounty  comes  every  thing  which  gladdens  our  sojourn  upon 
earth,  —  every  thing  that  gives  us  the  hope  of  immortality 
beyond  it.  We  should  be  the  unworthy  descendants  of 
those  good  men  of  whom  this  day  vividly  reminds  us,  could 
we  assemble  in  the  midst  of  all  that  blesses  life,  and  not 
be  mindful  of  those  religious  hopes  and  aspirations  which 
brought  our  Pilgrim  Fathers  across  the  broad  Atlantic; 
which  encouraged  and  cheered  them  on  to  encounter  the 
perils  and  hardships  of  an  unknown  shore,  a  boundless 
wilderness,  and  a  race  of  savage  men,  and  without  which 
we  should  be  but  little  better  than  insects  of  a  day. 

Descendants  of  the  ancient  Bridgewater,  and  you  who 
now  inhabit  her  territory,  we  know  from  authentic  records 


CENTENNIAL  CELEBRATION.  103 

what  the  condition  of  the  region  round  about  was  two 
hundred  years  ago.  We  also  know  that  this  district  of 
country  was  prosperous  and  comparatively  wealthy  and  popu- 
lous one  hundred  years  ago.  Our  eyes  see  and  our  hearts  feel 
what  it  is  to-day.  But  who  can  lift  the  veil  which  covers 
the  future  from  our  view  ?  Who  can  look  down  the  long 
vista  to  1956,  and  describe  to  us  the  Bridgewaters  of  that 
day  ?  Who  can  inform  us  respecting  the  men  and  women 
who  will  assemble  on  the  3d  of  June  in  that  year  to 
do  honor  to  the  memory  of  their  ancestors  ? 

Though  the  reality  is  wisely  concealed  from  all  but  Him 
who  sees  the  end  from  the  beginning,  we  cannot  doubt  that 
a  glorious  destiny  is  in  reserve  for  those  who  are  to  follow 
us.  The  history  of  the  world  declares  the  onward  and 
upward  course  of  man,  notwithstanding  he  sometimes  re- 
lapses. Auspicious  omens  cheer  us  on,  though  clouds 
sometimes  darken  the  horizon.  And,  though  wrong  and 
outrage  may  triumph  for  a  season,  there  is  a  Power  which 
causes  even  "the  wrath  of  man  to  praise  him."  Though 
we  are  not  prophets,  we  are  taught  by  those  who  were,  that 
the  human  race  was  placed  on  earth  for  a  far  nobler  state 
of  society  than  the  world  has  ever  seen ;  that  the  religion  of 
the  Saviour  will  yet  enlighten  and  elevate  all  nations.  We 
know  that  his  prayer  must  yet  be  answered,  and  God's 
"  will  be  done  on  earth  as  it  is  in  heaven." 

What  revolutions,  what  convulsions,  what  reverses,  may 
precede  the  promised  age,  or  when  its  full-orbed  splendor 
shall  illuminate  the  world,  it  is  not  ours  to  know.  It  is 
enough  for  us  to  be  assured,  that  the  Sun  of  Bighteousness 
will,  at  some  future  day,  shed  his  beams  on  every  land,  and 
that  the  love  of  God  and  man  will  be  the  controlling  spirit  of 
our  race.  And  just  so  far  as  this  spirit  becomes  the  rule 
of  action,  just  so  far,  and  no  farther,  will  earth  become  a 
paradise.  For  what  is  man  without  morals  ?  What  are 
morals  without  religious  principle  ? 

Let  our  countivmen  but  give  heed  to  the  declaration  of 


104  BEIDGEWATER 

our  political  father,  that  *'the  preservation  of  our  Union 
is  of  infinite  moment  both  to  our  collective  and  individual 
happiness,  and  that  we  ought  to  frown  indignantly  upon 
every  attempt  to  alienate  one  portion  of  our  country  from 
the  rest ; "  let  them  believe  with  him,  that  "  religion  and 
morality  are  indispensable  supports  of  all  the  dispositions 
and  habits  which  lead  to  political  prosperity  ;  "  let  such  in- 
structions as  these  words  of  him,  who  was  "  first  in  the  hearts 
of  his  countrymen,"  but  guide  the  conduct  of  the  people  of 
these  United  States,  —  and  the  century  on  which  we  are 
entering  to-day  will  witness  a  progress  no  less  wonderful 
than  the  last,  as  regards  both  our  nation,  our  State,  and  our 
neighborhood. 

But  I  must  forbear,  and  keep  you  back  no  longer  from  the 
intellectual  repast  which  the  eloquent  men  whom  I  see 
around  me  are  prepared  to  set  before  you, 

I  have  only  to  say  again.  Welcome,  thrice  welcome,  ladies 
and  gentlemen,  to  the  hallowed  associations  and  all  the  enjoy- 
ments of  this  Second  Centennial  Day  of  Bridgewater. 


Benjamin  W.  Harris,  Esq.,  the  Toastmaster,  then 
announced  the  regular  sentiments  as  follows  :  — 

1.  "  Tlte  Two  Hundredth  Anniversary  of  the  Incorporation  of  Bridgewater  —  The 
children  of  the  ancient  town  are  assembled  from  the  north  and  the  south,  the  east 
and  the  west,  to  do  honor  to  their  parent;  and  may  their  days  be  long  in  the  land, 
according  to  the  promise!  " 

To  this  sentiment,  Hon.  Ezekiel  Whitman,  of  East 
Bridgewater,  made  the  following  remarks :  — 

Mr.  President,  —  I  presume  I  am  called  upon,  on  the 
present  occasion,  on  account  of  my  being  an  octogenarian, 
and,  therefore,  as  being  able  to  carry  my  recollection  back  to 
a  remote  period. 


CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  105 

I  spent  my  youthful  days,  principally,  till  twenty-three 
years  of  age,  in  the  good  old  town  of  Bridgewater  ;  after- 
wards I  resided  in  Maine  till  within  a  few  years  past ;  and  I 
can  say  with  the  celebrated  Goldsmith,  that  — 

"  In  all  my  wanderings  through  this  world  of  care, 
In  all  my  griefs,  —  and  God  has  given  my  share, — 
I  still  had  hopes,  my  latest  hours  to  crown, 
Amidst  these  humble  bowers  to  lay  me  down; 
To  husband  out  life's  taper  to  the  close, 
And  keep  the  flame  from  wasting  by  repose. 
And  as  a  hare,  whom  hounds  and  horns  pursue, 
Pants  to  the  place  from  whence  at  first  she  flew, 
I  still  had  hopes,  my  long  vexations  past. 
Here  to  return,  and  die  at  home  at  last." 

And,  now,  here  I  am,  free  to  breathe  my  native  air  on  my 
own  ground. 

My  distinct  recollections  reach  no  further  back  than  the 
close  of  the  revolutionary  war.  I  well  remember  seeing 
the  disbanded  soldiers  returning,  after  the  close  of  it ;  and 
I  well  remember  quite  a  number  of  aged  and  venerable  men 
in  my  neighborhood  at  that  time,  who,  without  doubt, 
retained  the  manners,  customs,  and  modes  of  thinking,  of 
a  remote  ancestry.  There  were,  besides,  four  clergymen  — 
one  in  each  of  the  four  parishes  —  in  the  ancient  town, 
whose  ministry,  of  sixty  years'  duration  each,  was  drawing 
to  a  close. 

Till  the  close  of  the  revolutionary  war,  and  for  some 
years  thereafter,  it  is  not  probable  that  there  had  been  much 
change  in  the  condition  of  our  forefathers.  They  were 
a  staid  and  conservative  race.  Novelties  were  looked  upon 
by  them  with  distrust.  They  were  plain  and  homespun 
in  every  thing.  Ostentation  was  far  from  being  a  charac- 
teristic among  them.  Each  felt  safe  in  treading  in  the  steps 
of  his  father  before  him. 

The  dwellings  of  those  days  were  without  paint,  inside  and 
out ;  and  the  churches  were  in  a  similar  predicament.  The 
furnitui'e  of  their  dwellings  was  of  the  simplest  kind,  though 

14 


106  BRIDGEWATER 

often  convenient  and  comfortable  :  sofas,  stuffed-back  and 
cushion-seated  chairs,  and  carpets,  were  unknown  to  them. 
In  their  houses  you  would  find  — 

"  The  whitewashed  wall,  the  nicely  sanded  floor,"  — 


and  perhaps  — 


"  The  varnished  clock  that  clicked  behind  the  door; 
The  hearth,  except  when  winter  chilled  the  day, 
With  aspin-boughs,  and  floAvers  and  fennel  gay." 

And  in  some  instances,  perhaps,  — 

"  The  broken  teacups,  wiselj'  kept  for  show, 
Ranged  o'er  the  chimney,  glistened  in  a  row." 

And  as  for  music,  there  was  the  good  old  spinning-wheel  to 
be  heard  in  every  dwelling,  which  was  suggestive  of  much 
that  was  delightful.  It  indicated  industry  and  thrift,  and 
gave  promise  of  comfortable  clothing ;  and,  what  was  much 
better,  it  was  a  healthful  exercise  for  the  young  females  :  it 
developed  and  fortified  their  energies,  gave  them  fresh- 
ness and  florid  beauty,  and  fitted  them  to  become  desirable 
companions  and  housewives.  Instead  of  this  healthful  music, 
we  now  have  the  sickening  piano,  suggestive  of  nothing  but 
ejffeminacy,  luxury,  and  the  want  of  better  employment. 
Our  grandmothers  were  the  manufacturers,  almost  wholly, 
of  the  cloth  used  in  their  families  :  of  course,  they  were 
accustomed  to  labor,  and  were  real  helpmates. 

Our  ancestors,  at  the  conclusion  of  the  great  contest  con- 
firming our  independence  as  a  nation,  having  exhausted 
much  of  their  means  in  securing  that  object,  were,  in  some 
measure,  in  destitute  circumstances.  Their  circulating  me- 
dium was  reduced  almost  to  nothing.  Their  paper-money 
had  proved  utterly  worthless  ;  and  it  was  with  much  diffi- 
culty that  specie  could  be  procured  to  pay  their  taxes.  And 
those  who  were  in  debt  found  it  almost  impossible  to  meet 
their  engagements :  economy  and  frugality,  therefore,  were, 
in  all  their  operations,  quite  indispensable. 


i 


CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  107 

I  have  before  remarked,  that  our  ancestors  were  a  plain, 
homespun  people :  they  were  not  rich,  and  scarcely  any 
of  them  were  poor.  Their  condition  was  that  of  medio- 
crity and  equality ;  so  much  so,  that  some  of  the  wags  in  the 
neighboring  towns,  who  were  inclined  to  be  witty,  charac- 
terized them  by  saying,  that  in  Bridgewater  there  was  nei- 
ther a  poor  man  nor  a  rich  one,  a  wise  man  nor  a  fool. 

Our  ancestors  were,  moreover,  remarkable  for  their  uni- 
formity and  fixedness  in  matters  of  religion.  During  the 
ministration  of  the  four  pastors  before  alluded  to,  all  within 
the  limits  of  each  parish  attended  at  the  same  church.  It  is 
not  known,  that,  in  those  days,  there  was  a  single  dissentient ; 
and  the  four  ministers  could  freely  interchange  with  each 
other.  People  in  those  days  had  not  begun  to  split  hairs 
about  matters  in  regard  to  which  no  mortal  in  this  life  can 
arrive  to  any  degree  of  certainty. 

There  was  in  those  days,  in  each  of  the  four  parishes,  as 
in  Goldsmith's  favorite  village,  — 

"  The  never-failing  brook,  the  busy  mill, 
The  decent  church  that  topped  the  neighboring  hill." 

There  was  also,  in  each  parish,  the  good  man,  of  whom  he 
says,  — 

"  A  man  he  was  to  all  the  country  dear, 
And  passing  rich  with  forty  pounds  a  year: 
Kemote  from  towns  he  ran  his  godly  race. 
Nor  e'er  had  changed,  nor  wished  to  change,  his  place. 
Unskilful  he  to  fawn,  or  seek  for  power, 
By  doctrines  fashioned  to  the  varying  hour; 
Far  other  aims  his  heart  had  learned  to  prize,  — 
More  bent  to  raise  the  wretched  than  to  rise. 
And  as  a  bird  each  fond  endearment  tries 
To  tempt  its  new-fiedged  offspring  to  the  skies, 
He  tried  each  art,  reproved  each  dull  delay. 
Allured  to  brighter  worlds,  and  led  the  way." 

There  was  also,  in  each  of  the  parishes,  the  place  — 

"  Where  gray-beard  mirth  and  smiling  toil  retired; 
Where  village  statesmen  talked  with  looks  profound. 
And  news  much  older  than  their  ale  went  round." 


108  BRIDGEWATER 

It  may,  however,  have  been  flip,  or  good  old  cider,  that  went 
round,  instead  of  ale,  in  our  ancestors'  days.  "Whoever  reads 
Goldsmith's  "  Deserted  Village  "  will  find  much  that  will 
strikingly  apply  to  the  condition  of  our  forefathers. 

Our  ancestors  had  another  source  of  enjoyment,  in  their 
almost  perfect  freedom  from  lawless  intrusion.  Scarcely  any 
one,  in  those  days,  thought  it  necessary  to  fasten  his  doors, 
and  much  less  his  windows,  on  retiring  for  the  night.  Each 
sat  under  his  own  vine  and  his  own  Jig-tree,  and  had  none  to 
molest  or  make  him  afraid. 

Thus  we  see  that  our  ancestors  were  not  without  their 
sources  of  enjoyment.  Their  almost  perfect  equality,  so  con- 
ducive to  familiar  and  unrestrained  sociability  ;  their  undis- 
turbed unanimity  in  matters  of  religion ;  their  freedom  from 
fear  of  the  disorderly  or  thievish  midnight  intruder  ;  their 
facilities  for  obtaining  the  wholesome  comforts  of  life,  with- 
out the  deteriorating  annoyances  of  luxury,  —  all  seem  to 
have  conspired  to  make  their  lot  as  happy  as  is  attainable  in 
this  life. 

Notwithstanding  all  which,  we  are  naturally  prone  to  feli- 
citate ourselves  in  contrasting  our  condition  with  theirs.  "We 
find  our  domiciles  and  churches  everywhere  glistening  inside 
and  out  with  paint ;  our  furniture  of  the  most  costly  kind, 
consisting  of  mahogany,  black  walnut,  or  rosewood,  —  heavy, 
massive,  and  almost  immovable  ;  sofas,  ottomans,  secretaries, 
and  rich  cabinet-wares,  too  numerous  to  be  mentioned; 
with  woollen  carpets,  rugs,  brass  fire-sets,  and  splendid  vehi- 
cles for  transportation.  With  these  our  eyes  are  dazzled, 
and  our  imaginations  are  led  astray. 

But  let  us  pause,  and  consider  what  is  really  conducive  to 
enjoyment.  Who  dares  now  to  retire  for  the  night,  without 
fastening  his  doors  and  windows  ?  How  much  of  equality  of 
condition  is  to  be  met  with,  so  conducive  to  good  fellowship  ? 
How  is  it  with  regard  to  religious  fellowship  ?  Till  the  close 
of  the  last  century,  no  clergyman  was  ever  settled  in  either  of 
the  four  parishes,  with  one  solitary  exception,  that  did  not 


CENTENNIAL  CELEBRATION.  109 

spend  his  days  there.  How  has  it  been  since  ?  In  the  old 
East  Parish,  now  town  of  East  Bridgewater,  since  the  com- 
mencement of  the  present  century  there  have  been  settled  no 
less  than  six  ministers,  five  of  whom  are  now  living  ;  and  there 
are  now  in  the  same  town,  formerly  the  East  Parish,  three 
other  societies,  neither  of  the  ministers  of  which  can  agree 
on  an  exchange  with  either  of  the  others.  And  in  the  other 
towns,  comprising  the  other  parishes  of  ancient  Bridgewater, 
it  is  understood  that  there  is,  and  has  been,  at  least  an  approxi- 
mation to  the  same  state  of  things.  Let  these  considerations 
cause  us  to  pause,  and  consider  how  much,  if  at  all,  our  con- 
dition, as  conducive  to  true  enjoyment,  is  to  be  preferred,  on 
the  whole,  to  that  of  our  ancestors. 

There  is,  however,  one  particular  in  which  we  may  fairly 
rejoice  in  a  real  improvement  upon  what  they  enjoyed. 
Wheeled  carriages,  for  the  transportation  of  persons,  they 
can  scarcely  be  said  to  have  had  any.  A  few,  and  they  were 
very  few,  elderly  people  had  rickety  old  chaises  to  convey 
them  to  meeting.  Wagons  for  the  purpose  are  of  recent 
invention.  The  horse,  saddle,  and  pillion  afforded  almost 
the  only  means,  except  when  there  was  sleighing,  for  the 
transportation  of  persons ;  and  such  was  the  case  nearly  to 
the  close  of  the  last  century. 

One  more  quotation  from  Goldsmith,  and  this  garrulity  of 
an  old  man  shall  be  brought  to  a  close,  at  least  for  the  pre- 
sent :  — 

"  Thus  fares  the  land,  by  luxury  betrayed, 

In  nature's  simplest  charms  at  first  arrayed ; 

But,  verging  to  decline,  its  splendors  rise. 

Its  vistas  strike,  its  palaces  surprise." 

May  this  vaticination  never  be  verified  in  either  of  the 
Bridgewaters,  though  their  splendors  should  continue  to  rise, 
their  vistas  strike,  their  palaces  surprise. 


2.  "  The  Commonwealth  of  Massachusetts.  —  May  her  glory  shine  as  bright  in  the 
preservation  of  liberty,  independence,  and  union,  as  in  the  struggles  for  their  acquisi- 
tion!" 


110  BRIDGEWATER 

Response  by  the  Band. 


3.  "  The  Chief  Juslice  of  Massachusetts.  —  He  reads  upon  the  tablets  of  our  quiet 
churchyard  the  memorials  of  his  ancestors :  on  the  tablets  of  our  hearts  he  may  read 
our  welcome  to  the  descendant." 


Hon.  Lemuel  Shaw,  of  Boston,  responded  sub- 
stantially as  follows :  — 

Mr.  President,  —  For  the  very  kind  and  significant  terms 
in  which  you  and  the  very  large  and  respectable  assembly 
here  present  have  noticed  myself,  as  a  descendant  of  a 
respectable  ancestry,  I  pray  you  to  accept  the  expression  of 
my  heartfelt  and  sincere  thanks.  My  gratitude  for  this  kind 
and  respectful  notice  is  not  the  less  sincere  and  personal, 
when  I  consider,  as  I  cannot  fail  to  do,  that  that  marked 
expression  of  affectionate  regard  is,  to  a  certain  extent,  in- 
fluenced by  the  honorable  and  responsible  office  which  I 
hold  in  the  judiciary  of  the  Commonwealth. 

So  far  as  my  observation  and  experience  have  gone,  —  and 
they  have  been  pretty  extensive,  —  I  think  I  may  say  with 
truth,  that,  if  there  be  any  one  sentiment  general,  strong, 
and  predominant,  amongst  the  thoughtful  and  considerate 
people  of  Massachusetts,  it  is  an  earnest  desire  to  establish 
and  maintain,  at  all  times  and  under  all  circumstances,  an 
able,  faithful,  and  impartial  administration  of  justice.  Cor- 
responding with  this  highly  salutary  principle,  I  have  never 
failed  to  observe  a  general  disposition  among  the  people  to 
cherish  and  express  a  feeling  of  affectionate  and  respectful 
regard  to  all  those  who  have  held  high  judicial  offices,  and 
who  have  performed  the  duties  of  such  offices  with  a  reason- 
able degree  of  capacity  and  fidelity. 

We  are  reminded,  sir,  by  the  historical  reminiscences  so 
vividly  brought  to  our  notice  to-day,  what  indeed  we  well 
knew  before,  that  Bridgewater  was  founded,  and  commenced 
her  career  of  advancement    and    improvement,    under    the 


CENTENNIAL  CELEBRATION.  Ill 

government  of  the  old  colony  of  Plymouth,  which  became 
annexed  to  Massachusetts  by  the  Province  Charter  of  1692. 
But  although  Massachusetts  was  then  comparatively  a  large 
community,  and  the  colony  of  Plymouth  a  small  one,  I 
believe  I  may  say,  with  truth,  that  we  were  not  received  as  a 
dependency  or  subordinate  community,  but  were  admitted  at 
once  to  the  free  participation  and  enjoyment  of  all  the  benefits 
of  the  enlarged  common  government.  And  I  hesitate  not  to 
say,  that,  before  and  since  this  union,  the  inhabitants  of  the 
old  colony  —  by  military  services  in  defence  of  the  country, 
by  public  services  in  church  and  state  —  have  done  their  fair 
share  in  advancing  the  common  good  and  enhancing  the 
common  reputation  ;  and  I  rejoice  in  adding  my  belief,  that 
they  have  received  their  full  share  of  all  the  honors  and  dis- 
tinctions which  it  has  been  in  the  power  of  the  common 
parent  to  bestow.  Here,  sir,  in  a  sort  of  family  meeting, 
where  nothing  is  intended  to  go  beyond  our  own  circle,  I 
hope  it  may  not  be  regarded  unwarrantable  vanity  in  alluding 
to  a  circumstance  calculated  to  do  honor  to  the  land  of  our 
birth.  May  I  therefore  be  pardoned  in  mentioning,  that, 
soon  after  I  was  appointed  to  the  judicial  office  which  I  now 
hold,  there  was  a  centennial  celebration  at  Worcester  to  com- 
memorate the  establishment  of  courts  in  that  county,  at  which 
the  judges  of  the  Supi-eme  Judicial  Court,  then  in  session 
there,  attended  to  do  honor  to  the  occasion  ?  Some  one  there 
called  attention  to  the  fact,  —  and  so  it  was, —that,  of  the 
four  judges  of  which  the  Supreme  Judicial  Court  was  then 
composed,  three  were  natives  of  the  old  colony. 

Mr.  President,  we  are  here  this  day  —  and,  for  myself,  I 
rejoice  in  the  happy  opportunity  to  recognize  and  renew  the 
recollections  and  associations  which  bind  us  together  —  as 
the  descendants  of  a  common  ancestry,  and  to  congratulate 
each  other  upon  the  striking  manifestations  of  success,  pros- 
perity, and  social  improvement,  which  surround  and  pervade 
the  place  of  our  common  origin.  Here,  from  one  small  set- 
tlement, we  behold  the  establishment  of  four  large,  thriving. 


112  BRIDGEWATER 

and  well-ordered  communities,  each  with  its  various  churches, 
academies,  and  schools  ;  its  numerous  farms  and  commodious 
dwellings ;  its  manufactories,  and  places  of  trade ;  and  each 
numbering  its  inhabitants  by  thousands,  enjoying  all  the 
advantages  which  religious  and  civil  institutions  cannot  fail 
to  bestow.  And  all  this  has  occurred  upon  a  scene  and  over 
a  territory,  —  as  we  have  been  reminded  by  the  interesting 
historical  researches  through  which  the  orator  has  to-day 
vividly  carried  us,  —  a  territory  "  inhabited,"  shall  I  say  ?  — 
no,  scarcely  more  than  wandered  over,  —  by  a  handful  of 
savages,  little  raised  above  the  rank  of  barbarism. 

And  within  what  time  has  this  vast  and  beneficial  change 
taken  place  ?  In  certain  points  of  view,  two  hundred  years 
may  appear  to  be  a  long  period  of  time ;  to  each  man's  per- 
sonal experience,  looking  at  the  events  of  his  own  life  only, 
it  may  seem  so :  but,  in  marking  the  infancy,  growth,  and 
maturity  of  tribes,  states,  and  nations,  it  is,  in  truth,  a  com- 
paratively short  period.  Not  only  Bridgewater  and  the  old 
colony,  but  this  vast  confederacy  of  the  North-American 
States,  have  risen  to  their  present  greatness  in  the  short 
space  of  two  hundred  years.  May  I,  in  this  connection,  be 
permitted  to  allude  to  a  circumstance,  somewhat  curious  in 
itself,  which  may  aid  the  imagination  in  conceiving  of,  and 
realizing  the  comparative  shortness  of,  this  time  ?  AVe  all 
know,  from  well-authenticated  tradition,  that  Peregrine  White 
was  the  first  child  born  in  the  Plymouth  colony  ;  that  his 
birth,  therefore,  was  at  about  1620 ;  and  that  he  lived  to  be 
about  eighty-five  years  old,  thus  carrying  him  to  about  1705. 
Mr.  Cobb,  the  centenarian  of  Kingston,  died  in  1803,  at 
the  age  of  a  hundred  and  seven.  Perhaps  some  who  hear 
me  may  recollect  him.  I  myself  visited  him  at  the  com- 
mencement of  the  present  century.  He  stated  that  he  recol- 
lected Peregrine  White,  and  had  seen  him,  and  had  heard 
him  talk.  And  this  might  even  be  ;  for  he  must  have  been 
eight  or  ten  years  old  when  Peregrine  White  died.  Para- 
doxical as  it  may  seem,  Mr.  Cobb  lived  through  part  of  three 


CENTENNIAL  CELEBRATION.  113 

centuries,  —  the  seventeenth,  eighteenth,  and  nineteenth. 
Born  in  1696,  and  dying  in  1803,  he  lived  four  years  in  the 
seventeenth,  during  the  whole  of  the  eighteenth,  and  three 
years  in  the  nineteenth  century.  Thus  three  lives,  one,  at 
least,  still  subsisting,  —  and  probably  many  others,  some  of 
whom  now  hear  me,  —  cover  the  whole  period  from  the  arri- 
val of  the  "  Mayflower  "  to  the  present  time. 

What,  then,  we  are  led  to  inquire,  with  earnest  and  affec- 
tionate interest,  led  to  this  change  from  a  wilderness  to  a 
garden,  from  barbarism  to  high  civilization  ?  These  causes, 
these  results,  were  probably  not  peculiar  to  the  founders  of 
the  old  colony ;  but  then  they  were  strikingly  displayed  and 
illustrated. 

In  the  first  place,  the  founders  were  actuated  and  governed, 
in  all  their  thoughts  and  all  their  movements,  by  high  reli- 
gious and  moral  principle.  They  were  not  adventurers,  who 
had  left  their  country  for  a  time  to  mend  their  fortunes,  and 
then  return  to  pass  the  residue  of  their  lives  in  their  native 
land :  they  came  to  seek  an  abiding-place,  to  establish  a  home 
for  themselves  and  their  descendants,  which  should  satisfy 
their  cherished  ideas  of  a  pure,  religious  commonwealth. 
They  came  with  little  property  ;  but  the  means  on  which  they 
relied,  —  and  on  which,  as  the  event  proved,  they  might  rely 
with  success,  —  next  to  an  undoubting  faith  in  the  providence 
of  God,  were  earnest  minds  and  willing  hands. 

To  establish  the  means  of  religious  instruction  and  public 
worship,  where  all  might  participate  and  enjoy  equal  privi- 
leges, was  regarded  as  a  duty  of  the  first  necessity.  But 
their  religious  character  has  been  too  often  considered  to 
require  any  extended  comment  now.  Their  views  may  often 
have  been  narrow  or  erroneous ;  they  may  have  been  stiff", 
or  even  obstinate,  in  maintaining  them :  but  they  were  sin- 
cere. It  is  not  on  their  religious  character,  however,  that  I 
would  dwell ;  but  I  do  wish  to  ask  your  attention  to  their 
high  moral  principles.  In  my  judgment,  they  were  truly 
and  conscientiously  governed  by  a  principle  of  strict  integrity, 

15 


114  BRIDGEWATEK 

a  pure  sense  of  exact  justice,  of  strict  equality  of  rights  in 
the  distribution  and  enjoyment  of  all  civil  and  social  benefits 
and  advantages.  If  a  tract  of  land  was  granted  to  a  company 
of  proprietors,  it  was  to  those  who  had  united  to  form  a  set- 
tlement, designed  for  their  personal  occupation,  and  divided 
with  strict  equality,  usually  by  lot ;  and  if,  by  any  accident  or 
mistake,  any  one  had  not  his  full  share  in  real  value,  it  was 
made  up  to  him  out  of  the  common  stock.  No  seignories, 
no  large  tracts,  were  granted  out  to  individuals  for  speculation 
and  for  being  leased,  or  for  the  purpose  of  creating  distinc- 
tions in  rank  or  social  position ;  and  I  have  always  regarded 
it  as  one  of  the  vast  advantages,  and  as  giving  a  character  in 
the  outset  to  the  condition  of  society,  that  land  was  granted 
in  small  parcels  to  actual  settlers,  to  be  held  by  actual  occu- 
pants, by  the  freest  of  all  tenures.  This  affords  the  highest 
encouragement  to  permanent  improvement ;  because  every 
occupant  feels  assured  that  every  permanent  improvement  will 
enure  to  his  own  benefit  and  that  of  his  children.  This  it 
is  which  converts  the  sterile  plain  into  a  fertile  field ;  this  it  is 
which  marks  the  distinction  in  improvement  between  the 
farms  and  buildings  of  a  body  of  free  yeomanry,  cultivating 
their  own  lands,  and  the  farms  and  buildings  of  a  tenantry, 
even  on  the  most  fertile  soil. 

But  next  to  the  religious  character  of  our  ancestors,  and  the 
high-toned,  strong  sense  of  morality,  of  justice  and  integrity, 
of  perfect  equality  of  rights,  which  marked  their  conduct  in  all 
their  social  and  political  dealings  and  relations  with  each  other, 
I  consider  that  the  remarkable  growth  of  the  communities,  in 
advancing  from  poverty  to  competency,  to  wealth,  and  to  all 
the  refinements  of  an  advanced  civilization,  are  mainly  attri- 
butable to  two  qualities,  —  industry  and  frugality.  Labor, 
honest  labor,  even  hard  and  persevering  labor,  in  a  laudable 
and  honest  calling,  brought  no  discouragement,  no  want  of 
respect,  no  loss  of  social  position.  This  was  a  general  and 
pervading  feeling,  and  extended  to  all  classes  of  society.  It 
extended  to  both  sexes  :  mothers  and  daughters,  as  well  as 


CENTENNIAL  CELEBRATION.  115 

fathers  and  sows,  were  actuated  alike  by  a  common  self-devo- 
tion to  useful  industry,  to  advance  the  common  interests  of 
the  family.  If  a  son  was  to  be  supported  at  college,  or  a 
daughter  to  be  fitted  out  with  a  comfortable  marriage  pro- 
vision, it  was  only  a  stimulus  to  more  assiduous  and  cheerful 
industry  to  the  whole  household. 

But  I  fear  I  am  detaining  you  too  long.  I  do  wish,  how- 
ever, at  the  hazard  of  being  tedious,  in  reference  to  the  last 
topic  alluded  to,  to  express,  for  myself  and  my  cotemporaries 
of  the  present  time,  a  deep  feeling  of  gratitude,  veneration, 
and  filial  affection,  for  our  female  ancestors.  Though  less 
conspicuous,  their  duties  were  not  less  important  and  efficient. 
Animated  by  an  abiding  sense  of  religious  dependence,  and 
sustained  by  an  unshaken  faith ;  governed  by  an  entire  devo- 
tion to  duty,  and  in  a  self-sacrificing  spirit ;  without  display, 
and  without  a  thought  of  being  applauded  or  noticed,  —  they 
proceeded  in  the  performance  of  their  appropriate  duties 
with  a  quiet  but  persevering  energy,  which  did  much  to 
mould  the  character  of  their  sons  and  daughters  to  honor  and 
virtue,  and  elevate  the  tone  of  society  by  impressing  it  with 
something  of  their  own  pure  and  lofty  spirit. 

These  virtues  and  characteristics  were  not  rare,  excep- 
tional, and  occasional,  but  everywhere  abounded  as  the  lead- 
ing characteristics  of  the  wives  and  mothers  of  our  early 
ancestors,  and  tended  to  give  to  society  formed  under  domes- 
tic auspices  a  character  of  high  excellence,  though  still  little 
advanced  in  wealth.  "Wealth  is  adventitious :  virtue  is 
perennial. 

And  may  we  not,  with  propriety,  hold  up  these  virtues  of 
the  wives  and  mothers  of  the  olden  time,  as  objects  worthy 
of  imitation  by  the  women  of  our  own  age  ?  For  although 
they  are  now  seldom  called  on  to  engage  in  the  same  labors ; 
though  the  useful  arts  of  domestic  manufacture  have  given 
place  to  literature,  the  fine  arts,  and  the  more  delicate  occu- 
pations of  refined  society ;  though  the  music  of  the  piano 
has  superseded  that  of  the  spinning-wheel,  —  yet  the  same 


116  BRIDGE  WATER 

piety  and  faith,  the  same  disinterested,  self-sacrificing  devo- 
tion to  duty,  the  same  quiet  energy  and  earnest  maternal 
afiection,  which  constituted  the  crowning  grace  of  the  humble 
dwellings  of  our  ancestors,  will  still  add  grace  and  dignity, 
and  shed  a  purifying  influence  upon  the  more  sumptuous 
habitations  and  refined  households  of  modern  society. 

Permit  me  to  offer  you  a  sentiment :  — 

"May  each  succeeding  Centennial  Anniversary  witness 
the  same  deep  interest  in  the  homes  of  our  ancestors,  the 
love  and  veneration  of  their  virtues,  and  the  same  fraternal 
harmony,  which  this  day  characterize  the  re-union  of  the 
Bridsre  waters." 


4.  "  The  Orator  of  the  Day.  —  A  descendant  of  one  of  the  original  proprietors 
and  settlers  of  Bridgewater:  no  long  line  of  ancestry  can  add  to  his  reputation  as 
a  statesman  and  a  man.'''' 

Mr.  "Washburn,  in  responding  to  the  above  sentiment, 
said  that  he  had  already  taxed  their  indulgence  too  severely 
this  day  to  feel  justified  in  occupying  any  more  of  their  time, 
which  could  be  so  much  more  profitably  employed  in  listen- 
ing to  others. 

But  he  should  be  doing  injustice  to  his  own  feelings,  if 
he  suffered  the  occasion  to  pass  without  expressing  the 
satisfaction  with  which  he  had  this  day  visited  a  spot  so  long 
associated  in  his  mind  as  the  early  home  of  his  ancestors. 

He  had  come  here  well-nigh  a  stranger ;  but  as  one  object 
after  another  had  been  pointed  out  to  him,  and  he  had  looked 
upon  the  farms  which  had  been  planted  by  men  of  his  own 
name  two  centuries  ago,  he  felt  as  if  he  had  come  back  to 
what  he  had  a  right  to  claim  as  his  own  home.* 


*  Ellis  Ames,  Esq.,  presented  the  speaker,  on  this  occasion,  an  original  parch- 
ment-deed, executed  by  John  Washburn,  2d,  one  of  the  original  settlers  of  the 
town,  bearing  date,  Nov.  1,  1686,  and  acknowledged  before  William  Bradford, 
Deputy-  Governor. 


CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  117 

And,  when  he  found  himself  greeted  with  the  warm  wel- 
come of  hospitality,  he  forgot  that  his  birthplace  was  any- 
where than  amidst  these  scenes  of  comfort  and  independence 
by  which  they  were  surrounded. 

But  he  claimed  the  right  of  a  stranger  to  speak,  as  an 
impartial  observer,  of  what  he  had  witnessed  this  day ;  and 
he  did  not  hesitate  to  say,  that  nowhere  could  we  look  for  a 
higher  degree  of  intelligence,  good  order,  and,  in  every  sense 
of  the  term,  respectability,  than  the  multitude  who  had  con- 
vened here  had  this  day  evinced. 

Here  were  assembled,  promiscuously,  the  people  of  four 
independent  communities,  numbering  by  thousands,  and  yet 
observing  all  the  decorum  and  self-respect  which  are  looked 
for  in  the  social  gatherings  of  friends  and  familiar  associates, 
the  courtesies  of  social  life  controlling  the  scenes  of  a  public 
festive  holiday. 

Nor  was  it  too  much  to  say,  that  they  witnessed  in  this 
the  legitimate  fruits  of  the  opinions,  institutions,  and  example 
which  had  been  left  to  this  generation  by  their  fathers. 

Well  might  Bridgewater  be  proud  of  such  sons  and  daugh- 
ters ;  and  well  might  they  come  up  hither,  from  their  homes 
far  and  near,  to  do  honor  to  the  memory  of  its  founders,  and 
the  associations  that  cluster  around  this  spot. 

He  proposed,  as  a  sentiment,  — 

"  Bridgewater  and  her  Children.  —  May  she  ever  find  a 
devotion  as  sincere  on  their  part,  and  they  a  home  as  pros- 
perous and  a  welcome  as  cordial  on  hers,*  as  the  old  home- 
stead has  this  day  presented !  " 


6.  "  The  Attorney-  General  of  the  Commonwealth.  —  Elected  to  his  office  for  the 
ability  and  fidelity  with  which  he  has  dischai-ged  its  duties,  and  not  for  party  pur- 
poses." 

Hon.  John  H.  Clifford,  the  Attorney-General  of 
the  Commonwealth,  who  had  attended  the  celebration, 


118  BRIDGEWATER 

and  would  have  replied  to  this  toast,  was  compelled 
to  leave  the  table,  by  pressing  official  engagements, 
before  it  was  announced ;  leaving  with  a  friend  the 
following  sentiment,  which  was  read  and  cordially 
received :  — 

"  The  Ancient  Town  of  Bridgewater.  —  She  has  successfully 
solved  the  most  difficult  political  problem  of  modern  times, 
by  showing  that  there  can  be  a  North  and  a  South,  an  East 
and  a  West,  whose  lines  of  division  only  serve  '  to  form  a 
more  perfect  Union.'  " 


6.  "  The  Ancient  Ministers  of  the  Town.  —  Keith,  Perkins,  and  Reed,  of  the  West ; 
Shaw  and  Sanger,  of  the  South ;  the  two  Angiers,  of  the  East ;  and  Porter,  of  the 
North,  —  in  their  times,  the  beacon-lights  of  knmdedge,  the  heralds  of  religious  and 
civil  liberty.  Their  remains  rest  peacefully  beneath  our  soil ;  the  hallowed  influence 
of  their  lives  and  labors,  diffused  throughout  the  community,  will  never  die.''^ 

Rev.  Ralph  Sanger,  of  Dover,  replied  substantially 
as  follows :  — 

Mr.  President,  —  You  will  bear  me  witness  that  I  knew 
nothing  of  this  sentiment  till  late  last  evening.  Another 
■person  (Dr.  Gannett,  of  Boston),  an  honored  descendant  of 
Bridgewater,  was  expected  to  respond  to  this  sentiment.  He 
is  not  here.  I  was  asked  to  take  his  place.  My  feelings 
prompted  me  to  do  it.  I  could  not  bear  the  thought  that 
there  should  be  no  response  to  this  sentiment ;  for  although 
delicacy  may  forbid  me  to  say  much  of  one  whose  name  is 
mentioned  in  the  sentiment  just  read,  yet  several  of  them  I 
had  seen,  and  of  all  of  them  I  had  read  or  heard. 

Mr.  President,  most  of  the  early  ministers  of  Bridgewater 
attained  a  great  age.  The  average  length  of  the  ministry  of 
Keith,  Perkins,  and  Reed,  was  the  remarkably  long  period 
of  fifty-six  years.     The   average   length  of  the   ministry  of 


CENTENNIAL  CELEBRATION.  119 

the  first  Angier,  Shaw,  and  Porter,  was  the  still  longer 
period  of  more  than  sixty-one  years.  This  fact  reflects 
much  credit  both  upon  the  ministers  and  the  people.  It 
shows  that  there  was  mutual  attachment,  without  which  a 
ministry  can  be  neither  long  nor  profitable.  It  furnishes 
a  striking  contrast  to  the  frequent  changes  in  the  ministry  at 
the  present  time.  I  know  that  some  religious  societies  have 
had  not  less  than  six,  and  others  not  less  than  eight,  mini- 
sters since  the  time  of  my  ordination.  A  brother  clergyman, 
in  reference  to  this  state  of  things,  remarked,  that  soon  a 
minister  would  be  considered  very  old  at  the  age  of  twenty- 
five,  and  that  people  would  wish  to  get  a  young  and  smart 
man  to  take  his  place. 

Mr.  President,  I  saw,  in  my  early  years,  the  venerable 
Shaw  and  Porter.  They  sustained,  each  of  them,  a  long  and 
useful  ministry.  They  were  beloved  in  life,  and  lamented 
in  death.  Their  children  and  children's  children  have  risen 
up,  and  called  them  blessed.  They  are  honored  in  many  of 
their  descendants,  and  surely,  in  no  small  degree,  by  two 
of  them  present  on  this  occasion,  whose  voices  we  have  been 
glad  this  day  to  hear,  —  one  presiding  with  dignity  at  this 
table ;  and  the  other  presiding,  with  eminent  ability,  as  Chief 
Justice  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  our  honored  Common- 
wealth. 

But,  Mr.  President,  the  two  ministers  just  mentioned  died 
when  I  was  very  young.  Dr.  Reed,  on  the  other  hand,  sur- 
vived till  I  had  seen  more  than  twoscore  years.  I  knew 
him  from  my  earliest  recollection.  He  was  often  at  my 
father's  house.  He  and  my  father  were  like  brothers.  They 
loved  each  other  ;  they  respected  each  other ;  they  frequent- 
ly visited  each  other ;  they  often  exchanged  on  the  sabbath  ; 
they  preached  for  each  other  the  lecture  preparatory  to  com- 
munion ;  so  that  I  often  heard  him  both  in  public  and  in  pri- 
vate. He  was  very  interesting  and  instructive  in  conversa- 
tion. Dr.  Reed,  as  it  seems  to  me,  was  an  original  thhiker. 
I  have  known  ministers  who  would  probably  be  regarded 


1 20  BRIDGEWATER 

as  more  learned  ;  I  have  known  those  who  perhaps  had  a 
knowledge  of  more  languages,  and  were  esteemed  more  criti- 
cal scholars  :  but  I  think  that  I  have  never  known  a  minister 
who  had  a  more  original  and  discriminating  mind.  Judge 
Metcalf  said  of  him,  that  he  reminded  him  of  Franklin. 
Like  Franklin,  he  had  an  original  mind;  he  uttered  short 
and  pithy  sayings ;  thoughts  came  out  of  his  mind  like 
sparks  of  the  electric  fluid  from  the  battery ;  they  came  not 
only  with  light,  but  with  power.  Let  me  add,  that  his 
character  was  no  less  remarkable  for  its  excellence  than 
his  mind  was  for  its  clearness. 


"  His  doctrine  and  his  life, 
Coincident,  exhibit  lucid  pi-oof 
That  he  was  honest  in  the  sacred  cause.' 


Mr.  President,  there  is  one  minister,  mentioned  in  the 
sentiment,  of  whose  life  and  character  and  services  I  may 
not  speak  at  large.  But  I  may  be  allowed  to  state  one  or 
two  facts  to  show  that  he  was  a  patron  of  literature,  and  a 
lover  of  "religious  and  civil  liberty."  Though  his  salary 
was  small,  he  expended  freely  of  his  little  income  to  purchase 
books,  and  collected,  during  his  lifetime,  what  was  thought 
to  be  not  only  the  largest,  but  the  most  valuable,  library  in 
that  vicinity.  He  paid  nearly  a  whole  year's  salary  for  one 
single  work  ;  viz.,  "  E.ees's  Cyclopaedia."  He  contributed 
one-thirtieth  part  toward  the  first  academy  which  was  erected 
in  Bridgewater.  He  was  very  fond  of  literary  and  scientific, 
as  well  as  theological,  studies  ;  and,  whenever  occasion  re- 
quired, he  stood  forth  the  defender  of  "religious  and  civil 
liberty." 

Mr.  President,  I  have  spoken  briefly  of  the  "ancient 
ministers  of  Bridgewater  "  whom  I  have  seen,  and  of  whom 
I  have  personal  knowledge.  Those  whom  I  have  not  seen 
—  the  venerable  Keith  and  Perkins  and  Angier,  of  whom 
history  and  tradition  speak  —  were  doubtless  "  beacon-Hghts  " 
in  their  day  and  generation.     They  performed  a  good  work 


CENTENNIAL  CELEBRATION.  121 

in  their  time.  They  sowed  seed,  which  has  sprung  up,  and 
borne  precious  fruit,  of  which  we  and  all  coming  after  us 
will  partake.  Sir,  I  concur  heartily  in  the  closing  language 
of  the  sentiment,  —  "  The  hallowed  influence  of  their  lives 
and  labors,  diff'used  through  the  community,  will  never  die." 
No,  sir,  it  will  not  die.  Let  us  hope  that  it  will  live  and 
flourish ;  let  us  hope  and  pray  that  the  good  influence,  which 
has  come  from  our  fathers  to  vis,  may  be  like  a  pure  and  holy 
stream,  widening  and  deepening  and  increasing  in  all  future 
time.  And  so,  when  the  children  of  the  ancient  town  of 
Bridgewater  shall  come  in  1956,  from  "the  North  and  the 
South,  the  East  and  the  West,"  to  the  Third  Centennial 
Anniversary,  may  they  come  with  as  warm  and  joyous  hearts 
as  we  do  this  day  I 

Mr.  President,  allow  me,  before  I  close,  to  say  that  I  am 
here  to-day  in  the  home  of  my  early  years,  in  the  home  of  my 
childhood  and  youth,  in  the  home  of  my  earliest  memories  and 
affections.  I  rejoice  to  be  here.  I  rejoice  to  see  the  family 
at  home  so  much  enlarged  and  improved ;  to  see  so  many 
new  brothers  and  sisters  in  the  "  old  homestead."  God  bless 
them  all,  and  multiply  them  a  thousand-fold  ! 

Mr.  President,  permit  me  to  close  by  offering  the  follow- 
ing sentiment :  — 

*'  The  children  of  Bridgewater,  who  have  been  abroad, 
and  have  been  kindly  invited  to  return  home,  present  their 
hearty  thanks  for  the  generous  hospitality  which  they  have 
received  in  the  *  old  homestead.'  " 


7.  "  The  Judiciary  of  Massachusetts,  —  the  auchor  which  holds  the  Ship  of  State 
fast  to  her  moorings,  whatever  storms  may  assail  her." 

Hon.  George  P.  Sanger,  one  of  the  Judges  of  the 
Court  of  Common  Pleas,  being  called  upon  to  respond, 
spoke,  in  substance,  as  follows :  — 

16 


122  BRIDGEWATER 

I  regret,  Mr.  President,  for  your  sake,  and  for  that  of  the 
brothers  and  sisters  befoi-e  iis,  that  it  had  not  fallen  to  him 
to  respond  to  this  sentiment  whose  name  instantly  occurs  to 
every  one,  as  the  profound  lawyer,  and  the  most  able,  learned, 
and  upright  judge,  whenever,  in  our  Commonwealth,  the 
judiciary  is  referred  to,  and  who,  present  here  as  a  descendant 
of  one  of  the  former  worthies  of  the  town,  has  already  an- 
sAvered  to  a  sentiment  complimentary  to  himself.  But  his 
presence  makes  my  duty  light ;  for  my  best  response  to  the 
sentiment  to  which  you  have  done  me  the  honor  to  ask  me 
to  reply  is  simply  to  point  you  to  him,  who,  throughout  the 
Commonwealth,  is  known  and  honored  as  the  upright  and 
honorable  man,  and,  over  the  nation  and  across  the  ocean,  is 
recognized  and  appreciated  as  the  learned  and  profound  judge. 

You  will  permit  me,  Mr.  President,  to  make  one  suggestion 
in  regard  to  the  phraseology  of  the  sentiment.  It  speaks  of 
the  Ship  of  State  only  as  at  her  moorings,  and  assigns  to  the 
judiciary  the  sphere  of  holding  her  to  her  moorings,  whatever 
storms  may  assail  her.  This  is  all  true,  sir.  But  oiu'  Ship  of 
State  is  not  always  at  her  moorings  :  she  has  her  voyage  to 
accomplish ;  and,  whether  her  course  leads  her  beneath  sunny 
skies  or  over  stormy  seas,  the  judiciary  plays  its  necessary 
and  important  part  equally  as  in  holding  her  to  her  moorings. 
For,  sir,  I  believe  in  that  true  progress,  that  steady  advance 
with  no  backward  step,  majestic  as  the  march  of  the  ages,  by 
which  commonwealths,  as  well  as  individuals,  are  led  forward 
in  their  upward  and  onward  course.  Did  I  not  so  believe, 
the  times  upon  which  we  have  fallen  would  be  to  me  most 
grievous ;  and  the  incidents  of  the  past  few  weeks,  still  fresh 
in  the  hearts  of  the  people,  would  overwhelm  me  with  un- 
utterable sorrow.  The  low  wail  of  liberty  that  comes  up  to 
us  from  the  Federal  Capitol,  where  freedom  of  speech  is 
stricken  down  in  what  should  be  her  sanctuary ;  and  the 
agonizing  shrieks  that  pierce  our  ears  from  the  Western 
prairies,  where  the  sons  and  daughters  of  the  Free  States  are 
insulted,  oppressed,  outraged,  and  murdered,  simply  because 


CENTENNIAL  CELEBRATION.  123 

they  would  keep  that  fair  garden  of  the  world  open  to  free- 
dom, —  would  burden  me  to  the  earth,  did  I  not  believe, 
that,  even  now,  a  brighter  day  is  beginning  to  dawn,  and  that 
the  historian  of  American  liberty  will  look  upon  this  year 
as  the  time  when,  and  these  acts  as  the  crowning  aggressions 
by  which,  the  free  people  of  the  nation  were  at  last  to  be 
aroused  to  the  determination,  that  thenceforward,  for  ever, 
the  blight  of  slavery  should  not  be  extended.  And,  sir,  may 
not  this  be  one  of  the  lessons  that  this  time  and  occasion 
teach  ?  Looking  forth  upon  these  fair  fields,  which  our 
fathers,  with  unremitting  toil,  redeemed  from  the  wilderness, 
should  we  not  pledge  ourselves  anew  to  lives  of  honorable 
and  manly  labor  ?  Standing  by  the  sods  that  rest  lightly 
upon  their  honored  dust,  let  us  dedicate  ourselves  for  the 
future  to  a  life,  as  nearly  as  may  be,  as  patient,  as  enduring, 
as  frugal,  as  honest,  as  patriotic,  as  Christian,  and  so  as  fruit- 
ful, as  theirs.  Living  in  a  land  by  them  made  free,  let  us 
consecrate  ourselves  for  ever  as  untiring  champions  of  reli- 
gious freedom  and  republican  liberty. 

In  the  Appendix,  Mr.  President,  to  Mitchell's  "History 
of  Bridgewater,"  which  has  been  referred  to  so  often  and  so 
favorably  to-day,  there  is  a  preface,  written  by  the  Mathers, 
of  religious  memory,  to  a  published  sermon  of,  I  think,  the 
Rev.  Mr.  Keith,  the  first  minister  of  this  town,  in  which 
they  speak  of  the  then  reputation  of  Bridgewater  as  that  of 
*'  a  most  pious  and  a  most  praying  town ;  "  and  to  the  piety 
and  prayers  of  its  people  do  they  attribute  the  many  mercies 
which  God  had  vouchsafed  to  them.  I  give  you,  sir,  as  a 
sentiment :  — 

"  The  most  praying  and  most  pious  town  of  Bridgewater : 
May  its  descendants  imitate  the  example  of  their  ancestors  ! 
and  so  to  themselves  insure  the  great  reward." 


8.  "  The  Adopted  Children  of  our  Common  Mother.  —  We  extend  to  them  the 
hand  of  fellowship,  and  welcome  them  to  all  the  blessings  and  privileges  of  our 
common  inheritance." 


124  BRIDGEWATER 

Hon.  William  Baylies,  of  West  Bridgewater,  re- 
sponded as  follows :  — 

Mr.  President,  —  I  shall  not  attempt  to  make  what 
might  properly  be  called  a  speech.  Such  an  attempt  would 
require  an  effort  beyond  my  strength,  both  of  body  and  mind. 
I  must,  therefore,  in  replying  to  the  toast  just  offered,  restrict 
myself  to  narrow  limits  and  a  few  words. 

To  be  recognized,  on  this  occasion  and  in  this  presence, 
as  an  adopted  son  of  Bridgewater,  —  Old  Bridgewatei*,  in  all 
her  territorial  entireness  and  integrity,  —  is  gratifying  to  my 
feelings  :  nothing  could  be  more  so.  I  acknowledge  the 
relationship,  and  am  proud  of  it.  Old  Bridgewater  I  shall 
never  forget :  the  remembrance  of  her  is  dear  to  my 
heart,  and  will  be  so  till  that  heart  shall  become  as  cold 
as  marble. 

And  though  I  was  not  born  within  her  limits,  and  though 
my  life-blood  does  not  "  track  its  parent  lake  "  through  her 
first  or  early  settlers  or  their  descendants,  yet  I  believe  that 
I  appreciate  the  merits  and  services  of  those  good  and  true 
men  as  justly  and  as  highly,  that  I  respect  and  venerate  their 
characters  as  much,  and  that  I  join  in  this  celebration,  in- 
tended to  revive,  to  honor,  and  perpetuate  their  memory,  as 
cordially,  as  though  I  had  been  a  native  of  the  soil  of  Old 
Bridgewater,  and  my  cradle  had  been  rocked  within  her 
limits. 

The  founders  of  Bridgewater  were  men  of  no  ordinary 
stamp.  Though  sorely  beset  and  severely  tried,  yet,  with 
unflinching  fortitude,  surmounting  all  obstacles,  and  throwing 
off  all  encumbrances,  they  accomplished  their  purpose  ;  they 
laid  the  foundation  of  a  great  town,  —  a  princely  munici- 
pality. They  were  men  of  enlarged  minds  and  a  wise  policy. 
Appreciating  the  value  of  knowledge,  they  provided  liberally, 
considering  their  means,  for  the  education  of  their  children. 
Knowing  the  vital  importance  of  religion  to  states,  commu- 
nities, and  individuals,  they  made  liberal  provision,  as  far  as 


CENTENNIAL  CELEBRATION.  125 

their  ability  would  admit,  for  the  maintenance  of  public  wor- 
ship and  the  preaching  of  the  gospel. 

Old  Bridgewater  was  highly  favored  and  blessed  in  her 
clergymen ;  and,  when  they  passed  away,  she  lost  some  of 
the  "most  precious  jewels  of  her  coronet."  It  is  not  my 
purpose,  nor  am  I  qualified,  to  speak  their  praises  ;  but  of 
one  with  whom  I  was  intimately  acquainted,  and  who  honored 
me  with  his  friendship,  I  must  be  indulged  in  a  more  parti- 
cular notice.  I  refer  to  the  late  Dr.  John  Reed,  who  was 
the  minister  of  the  Old  West  Parish  when  I  came  here  fifty- 
seven  years  ago. 

He  was  a  man  of  plain,  simple,  unafifected  manners,  with 
a  heart  free  from  all  guile  ;  of  great  sensibility,  and  overflow- 
ing with  the  milk  of  human  kindness  ;  but  possessed  of  a 
strong  mind,  and  of  great  reasoning  powers.  He  was  very 
familiar  with  the  Scriptures,  and  a  learned  expounder  of  their 
doctrines,  and  of  the  great  principles  of  Christianity.  He 
was  not  called  a  brilliant  preacher,  holding  very  cheap  all 
the  arts  of  rhetoric :  but  he  certainly  was  an  effective,  and,  I 
think,  an  eloquent  preacher;  for  he  convinced  the  judgment 
by  the  force  of  his  argument,  and  penetrated  and  subdued 
the  heart  by  the  pathos  of  his  delivery. 

But  he  had  merit  higher  than  this.  What  he  preached  to 
others  he  practised  himself.  His  doctrines  were  exemplified 
in  his  life  and  conversation. 


"  His  preaching  much,  but  more  his  practice,  wrought 
A  living  sermon  of  the  truths  he  taught." 


This,  I  know,  is  a  slight  and  feeble  tribute  to  the  memory 
of  a  great  and  good  man ;  but  it  is  sincere,  and  comes  from 
the  heart. 

I  will  now  conclude  with  a  few  words  addressed  particu- 
larly to  those  who  are  here  from  the  four  Bridgewaters.  We 
all  know  that  Old  Bridgewater  no  longer  exists  as  a  corpora- 
tion, except  in  contemplation  of  law.     She  has  been  dismem- 


126  BRIDGEWATER 

bered,  —  divided  into  four  towns^  separated  from  each  other 
by  distinct  and  independent  organizations.  This  separation 
is  fixed,  and  will  remain.  Ke-union  is  not  desired,  and,  if 
it  were,  would  be  hardly  practicable.  But  still  there  may 
be  a  union,  not  created  by  law,  but  a  voluntary  union,  —  a 
union  of  hearts,  irrespective  of  town  lines  and  town  organiza- 
tions, but  not  conflicting  with  them,  nor  interfering  with 
them,  —  a  union  formed  and  supported  by  social  and 
friendly  intercourse,  and  by  a  disposition  to  promote  the 
interests  and  happiness  of  each  other.  By  cultivating  this 
friendly  and  Christian  spirit,  the  four  Bridgewaters  will 
remain  united  in  the  best  sense  of  the  word,  and  be  Old 
Bridgewater  still ;  and  I  say,  from  the  bottom  of  my  heart. 
Old  Bridsfewater  for  ever  ! 


9.  "  Those  who  have  practised  the  Healing  Art  in  the  Ancient  Toion  of  Bridgeioater, 
or  can  trace  their  Descent  therefrom.  —  Skilful  in  the  prevention  and  cure  of  disease, 
each  of  them,  like  an  apostle  of  old,  may  well  be  called  '  the  beloved  physician.'  " 

Dr.  Ebenezer  Alden,  of  Randolph,  replied  sub- 
stantially as  follows :  — 

Mr.  President,  —  I  thank  you  for  your  kind  personal 
notice,  and  especially  for  your  high  compliment  to  the  pro- 
fession of  which  I  am  a  member. 

I  cannot  feel  myself  to  be  a  stranger  here  to-day.  Of  the 
five  generations  which  have  intervened  between  myself  and 
the  stripling  who  first  leaped  upon  Plymouth  Rock,  and  who 
was  the  last  male  survivor  of  the  "  Mayflower,"  four  were 
inhabitants  of  Bridgewater. 

Joseph,  second  son  of  Hon.  John  Alden,  of  Duxbury,  was 
a  proprietor  in  his  father's  right,  and  came  here  as  early  as 
1656.  He  was  much  respected,  and  received  the  title  of 
Goodman,  as  your  town-records  show.  He  died,  in  1697, 
at  the  age  of  seventy-three ;   and  his  i*emains  were,  without 


CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  127 

doubt,  deposited  in  the  ancient  burying-ground,  but  the 
exact  place  of  his  sepulture  knoweth  no  man  of  this  genera- 
tion. Could  his  descendants  of  the  present  day  do  a  more 
fitting  thing  than  to  erect  a  plain  monument  to  his  memory  ? 

Joseph  Alden,  son  of  Joseph,  was  a  resident  in  the  south 
precinct,  and  an  officer  in  the  church  there  ;  where  he  died, 
at  the  age  of  eighty,  in  1747.  Then  followed  in  succession 
two  Daniels ;  one  the  husband,  the  other  a  son,  of  Abigail, 
daughter  of  Judith  Shaw,  whose  character  has  just  been  so 
graphically  delineated  by  her  great-grandson,  Hon.  Lemuel 
Shaw,  Chief  Justice  of  the  Commonwealth.  They  were  both 
good  men  and  true  ;  residents  in  Bridgewater  for  a  time, 
but  finally  removed,  —  one  to  find  a  resting-place  in  Stafford, 
Conn. ;  the  other  in  Lebanon,  N.H.  I  may  add,  that,  like 
their  fathers,  they  enjoyed  not  only  the  blessing  of  the  upper 
and  the  nether  springs,  but,  according  to  the  promise,  an 
abundant  heritage  of  children  ;  and  that,  with  rare  exceptions, 
they  have  honored  the  memory  and  training  of  their  sires. 

My  father  settled  as  a  physician  in  the  immediate  vicinity 
of  Bridgewater  in  1781,  and  for  many  years  was  in  habits  of 
frequent  —  I  had  almost  said  daily  —  intercourse  with  its 
inhabitants ;  and,  for  nearly  half  a  century  since  his  death, 
the  kindness  to  the  father  has  not  been  withholden  from  the 
son.  My  interest  in  these  scenes,  therefore,  Mr.  President, 
is  similar  to  your  own.  I  thank  you  again  for  an  invitation 
to  visit  the  old  domicile,  and  to  unite  Avith  you  in  celebrating 
a  common  ancestry. 

But,  sir,  in  the  sentiment  to  which  I  have  been  invited  to 
respond,  you  allude  to  the  medical  profession ;  and  I  thank 
you  for  the  allusion.  Next  to  the  Christian  ministry,  I 
maintain  that  there  is  no  more  useful  or  honorable  calling 
than  that  of  the  good  physician.  He  is  with  you  from  the 
cradle  to  the  grave ;  from  the  first  struggle  into  life,  through 
all  its  morbid  changes,  to  its  close.  He  is  an  inmate  of  your 
families  and  firesides,  —  in  the  hour  of  peril,  to  ward  off 
danger  ;  to  call  back  the  ebbing  tide  of  life,  when  each  pulsa- 


128  BRIDGEWATER 

tion  is  ajDpreliended  to  be  the  last ;  to  restore  the  wife  to  the 
embraces  of  her  husband,  and  the  child  to  the  bosom  of  its 
mother ;  and  by  his  assiduity  and  skill,  and  the  blessing  of 
God  upon  his  efforts,  to  send  joy  and  gladness  into  hearts 
stricken  and  oppressed  with  emotions  which  no  language  can 
express.  And,  when  he  can  do  nothing  more,  he  stands  by 
your  dying  pillow,  a  sympathizing,  sorrowing  friend,  to  miti- 
gate, as  far  as  he  may,  the  pains  of  separation  between  the 
departing  spirit  and  its  earthy  tenement. 

Such  was  Samuel  Fuller,  one  of  the  company  who  landed 
in  Plymouth  in  1620,  the  first  physician  in  New  England,  — 
first  in  the  order  of  time,  and  a  model  physician  in  character. 
For  twelve  years  he  went  in  and  out  among  the  people ;  like 
a  guardian  angel,  making  all  happy  with  whom  he  associated. 
He  was  frequently  requested  to  extend  his  labors  beyond  the 
boundaries  of  Plymouth  Colony  and  the  neighboring  Indian 
tribes.  Twice  —  viz.,  in  1628  and  1629  —  he  visited  Salem, 
by  desire  of  Governor  Endicott,  during  the  prevalence  of 
severe  sickness  among  the  newly  arrived  immigrants ;  and 
his  efforts  were  attended  with  the  most  gratifying  success. 
In  a  letter  to  Governor  Bradford,  bearing  date  June  28, 1630, 
he  says,  "  I  have  been  to  Mattapan  (Dorchester),  and  have 
let  some  twenty  of  those  people  blood."  But  Dr.  Fuller  was 
eminent  not  only  in  his  profession,  but  in  other  walks  of  life. 
Before  he  left  Holland,  he  had  been  chosen  an  officer  in 
Robinson's  church.  His  judgment  in  ecclesiastical  affairs 
was  highly  valued.  He  was  a  wise  counsellor,  a  faithful 
friend,  a  zealous  and  consistent  Christian.  Too  soon  for  the 
church  and  for  his  country,  he  was  called  to  go  up  higher. 
He  died  of  epidemic  fever  in  1633  ;  and  the  people  "  mourned 
with  a  great  and  very  sore  lamentation." 

From  that  time  to  the  present,  the  Old  Colony  has  had  a 
succession  of  physicians,  who,  if  they  have  not  all  attained 
the  eminence  of  Samuel  Fuller,  have  adorned  their  profes- 
sion, and  secured  the  respect  of  their  contemporaries. 

Time  would  fail  me  to  present  a  catalogue  of  their  names. 


CENTENNIAL  CELEBRATION.  129 

much  more  the  briefest  sketch  of  their  characters.  They  are 
embalmed  in  the  memories  of  a  grateful  posterity,  and  have 
an  imperishable  monument  in  your  hearts. 

Many  of  the  early  ministers  in  the  Old  Colony  practised 
medicine  as  well  as  preached  the  gospel ;  not  intending  by 
this  to  obtrude  themselves  into  the  business  of  the  regular 
physician,  or,  as  quaint  Sir  Thomas  Browne  has  it,  "  to  chase 
two  hares  at  one  time,"  but  as  a  necessity  in  the  absence  of 
more  efficient  helpers.  Such  were  Rev.  Charles  Chauncy,  at 
Scituate ;  Rev.  Samuel  Brown,  at  Abington ;  E,ev.  John 
Shaw,  of  Bridgewater  ;  and  others. 

Thomas  and  Comfort  Starr,  Matthew  Fuller,  Samuel  Sea- 
bury,  Thomas  Little,  and  Francis  Le  Baron,  were  reputable 
physicians  and  chirurgeons  in  Plymouth  and  the  vicinity  at 
an  early  day.  In  later  times,  we  find  the  names  of  Bryant, 
Hitchcock,  Otis,  Lathrop,  "Winslow,  Crane,  Carver,  Shaw, 
Thaxter,  Thacher,  and  many  more;  some  of  whom,  in  the 
revolutionary  contest,  were  distinguished  as  patriots  as  well 
as  physicians. 

In  the  immediate  place  of  our  assembling,  we  call  to 
mind,  in  succession,  the  names  of  Howard,  Perkins,  Dunbar, 
and  Whitman ;  the  latter  a  personal  friend  of  my  own,  as 
well  as  of  many  who  hear  me.  They  and  their  associates 
were  noble  men,  worthy  of  the  times  in  which  they  lived, 
and  of  the  reputation  they  secured  ;  and  they  have  left  to 
their  successors  an  example  which  may  be  safely  imitated. 

Allow  me,  Mr.  President,  in  conclusion,  to  propose  the 
following  sentiment :  — 

"  Our  Puritan  ancestors  and  their  immediate  descendants, 
the  first  settlers  of  Bridgewater.  They  appreciated  moral 
worth  in  all  the  departments  of  society.  The  best  tribute 
we  can  offer  to  their  memories  is  to  cherish  their  principles, 
and  to  transmit  them,  with  the  institutions  they  originated, 
to  coming  generations." 


17 


1 30  BRIDGEWATER 

10.  "  The  Memory  of  Nahum  Mitchell,  the  JRistorian  of  Bridgewater,  —  an  honor 
to  the  science  of  sacred  music;  an  npriglit  judge;  and  a  faithful  legislator,  both  of 
the  State  and  nation.  His  untiring  industry,  in  rescuing  from  oblivion  the  memorials 
of  the  past,  deserves  the  gratitude  of  succeeding  generations." 

The  following  notice  of  Judge  Mitchell  was  submit- 
ted by  Hon.  Aaron  Hobart,  of  East  Bridgewater :  — 

The  above  sentiment  is  one  most  fitting  for  the  occasion. 
He  whom  it  commemorates  was  distinguished  by  a  long  life, 
—  a  large  portion,  of  it  spent  in  the  practice  of  an  honorable 
profession,  and  in  the  service  of  his  country.  It  was  my  good 
fortune,  more  than  fifty  years  ago,  to  enter  his  office  as  a  law 
student,  and  reside  in  his  family.  From  that  time  to  his 
sudden  death  in  Plymouth,  where  he  had  gone  to  join  in 
celebrating  the  two  hundred  and  thirty-third  anniversary  of 
the  embarkation  of  the  Pilgrim  Fathers  at  Delft  Haven,  I 
have  known  and  held  him,  as  all  who  knew  him  did,  in  great 
respect. 

Judge  Mitchell  was  a  descendant,  in  the  fourth  degree, 
frorti  Experience  Mitchell,  who  came  to  Plymouth  in  the 
third  ship,  the  "Ann,"  in  1623.  He  was  the  son  of  Gushing 
Mitchell,  and  Jennet,  his  wife,  who  was  a  daughter  of  Hugh 
Orr,  of  Bridgewater,  but  a  native  of  Lochwinnoch,  in  Scot- 
land, and  was  born  Feb.  12,  1769.  Having  been  fitted  by 
Beza  Hayward,  of  Bridgewater,  he  entered  Harvard  College 
in  1785,  and  graduated  in  course,  in  1789,  with  what  repu- 
tation for  scholarship  is  not  known  ;  but  his  accuracy  in 
matters  of  scholarship  in  after-Hfe  would  seem  to  render  it 
certain  that  he  could  have  been  no  mean  proficient.  His 
part  at  Commencement  was  a  syllogistic  disputation,  with 
Asaph  Churchill,  on  the  thesis,  "  Gravitas  non  est  esseniialis 
matericB  proprietas."  After  leaving  college,  he  read  law  with 
the  late  John  Davis,  of  Plymouth,  afterwards  Judge  of  the 
United  States  District  Court ;  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in 
November,  1792 ;  and,  soon  after,  opened  an  office  in  his 
native  place. 


^_yhti-^^^^''>->^rT^^2>^^</^^ 


k 


CENTENNIAL  CELEBRATION.  131 

He  soon  atracted  attention  in  his  profession ;  and  the  esti- 
mation in  which  he  was  held  by  the  public,  and  by  those 
who  had  the  appointing  power  in  the  State,  appears  in  the 
many  offices  which  were  from  time  to  time  conferred  upon 
him. 

He  was  nine  years  a  representative  in  the  General  Court, 
—  seven  from  Bridgewater,  and  two  from  Boston  ;  a  member 
of  the  eighth  Congress  of  the  United  States  ;  senator  from 
Plymouth  County  from  1813  to  181-1;  and  a  member  of  the 
Executive  Council  from  1814  to  1820.  On  the  abolition  of 
the  old  County  Court  of  Common  Pleas,  and  the  establish- 
ment of  a  Circuit  Court  of  Common  Pleas  in  1811,  he, 
though  not  of  the  same  political  party  with  the  ruling  power, 
was  appointed  one  of  the  justices  of  the  new  court  for  the 
southern  circuit,  comprehending  the  counties  of  Plymouth, 
Bristol,  and  Barnstable,  and,  on  the  resignation  of  Thomas 
B.  Adams,  succeeded  him  as  Chief  Justice.  In  1822,  he  was 
chosen  State  Treasurer,  and  held  the  office  for  five  consecutive 
years.  Besides  these  offices,  he  received  appointments  under 
special  commissions.  He  was  appointed,  with  Edward  H. 
Bobbins,  of  Milton,  and  Nicholas  Tillinghast,  of  Taunton, 
in  1801,  to  settle  a  disputed  boundary-line  between  Massa- 
chusetts and  Rhode  Island ;  and  in  1823,  with  Mr.  Bobbins, 
and  George  Bliss,  of  Springfield,  to  settle  the  line  between 
Massachusetts  and  Connecticut.  His  last  appointment  was 
chairman-  of  the  first  commission  for  exploring  the  country 
from  Boston  to  Albany  for  a  railroad.* 

The  performance  of  the  various  duties  of  these  high  and 
responsible  offices  was  confided  to  competent  and  safe  hands. 
Judge  Mitchell  was  a  man  of  great  industry,  quickness  of 
perception,  and  caution,  and  united  to  a  discriminating  judg- 
ment the  attentiveness  and  precision  of  the  mathematician. 
His  habits  of  inquiry  were  so  remarkable,  that  he  was  never 
satisfied  with  investigation,  nor  desisted  from  it,  so  long  as 

*  Judge  Mitchell  was  also  an  active  member  of  the  Massachusetts  Historical 
Society. 


132  BRIDGEVVATER 

he  had  less  than  all  the  light  he  could  obtain  on  the  subject. 
He  was  a  man  that  did,  and  did  well,  whatever  he  undertook. 

As  a  lawyer,  he  was  distinguished  for  sound  learning,  and 
fair  and  honorable  practice.  The  late  Chief  Justice  Parsons, 
not  long  before  his  death,  at  an  evening-party  in  Plymouth, 
one  of  whom  was  the  venerable  and  reverend  Dr.  Kendall, 
when  the  name  of  Nahum  Mitchell  was  mentioned,  "  spoke 
of  him  freely  as  a  man  and  lawyer.  He  said  it  would  be 
improper  to  draw  comparisons  between  him  and  other  gentle- 
men of  the  Old-Colony  bar.  There  were,  some  of  them, 
very  respectable  ;  but  certainly  Mr.  Mitchell  was  among  the 
very  best,  and  that  no  one  was  more  accurate  and  discrimi- 
nating. He  had  been  in  the  way  of  witnessing  his  accuracy 
and  discernment,  having  been  frequently  associated  with  him 
in  the  same  cause.  He  spoke  of  him  for  a  quarter  of  an  hour 
in  a  strain  of  high  encomium." 

His  qualifications  as  a  lawyer  made  him  a  good  judge ; 
and  such  he  was  generally  esteemed.  It  was,  indeed,  some- 
times said  of  him  that  he  lacked  promptness  and  decision. 
This,  however,  was  only  in  appearance  :  the  opinion  pro- 
bably arose  from  a  desire  on  his  part  to  do  right,  which 
led  him  to  defer  judgment  until  the  scales  of  justice  ceased 
to  vibrate,  and  he  could  see  a  clear  preponderance. 

He  was  in  Congress  but  for  one  term.  There,  he  was  in 
a  small  minority,  and  did  not  participate  much,  if  any, 
in  debate,  but  gave  close  attention  to  the  business  of  the 
house,  particularly  such  as  related  to  matters  of  finance,  and 
was  active  and  influential  on  commitees. 

The  principal  measures  discussed  and  acted  on  while  he 
was  a  member  were  —  an  amendment  of  the  Constitution,  re- 
quiring the  electors  of  President  to  name,  on  distinct  ballots, 
the  persons  voted  for  as  President  and  Vice-President ;  the 
impeachment  of  Judge  Chase  ;  and  the  purchase  of  Louisiana 
from  France.  On  all  these  questions,  he,  with  a  majority  of 
the  Massachusetts  delegation,  voted  in  the  negative,  —  against 
the  last  because  he  had  a  doubt  (in  which  Mr.  Jeiferson,  the 


CENTENNIAL  CELEBRATION.  133 

President,  participated,  but  yielded  to  the  pressure  of  circum- 
stances) of  the  right  of  the  treaty-making  power,  under  the 
Constitution,  to  buy  territory  to  be  admitted  into  the  Union 
as  a  State,  and  also  because  of  an  uncertainty  as  to  our  title 
under  the  treaty  of  cession. 

After  attending  to  all  his  official  duties  and  correspondence, 
he  found  himself  with  many  leisure  hours  on  hand.  These  he 
employed  in  reading  classic  authors,  among  them  Ovid's 
"  Epistolae  Heroidum,"  in  the  original,  —  an  interesting  book, 
which  he  "found,  in  a  bookstore  in  Georgetown,  stowed 
away  among  a  heap  of  second-hand  volumes  ;  "  in  translating 
the  works  of  Horace  into  English  verse ;  and  writing  an  in- 
teresting and  amusing  poem,  in  one  canto,  called  the  "  Indian 
Pudding."  He  rarely  engaged  in  any  amusement,  except 
an  evening  game  of  chess  with  Samuel  W.  Dana,  a  member 
of  Congress  from  Connecticut ;  "  in  which,"  he  said  in  a 
letter  to  a  relative,  "  I  am  generally  conqueror,  and  have 
therefore  become  more  skilful  than  my  teacher." 

He  was  a  great  lover  of  music,  and,  from  youth  to  old  age, 
studied  it  as  a  science.  More  than  fifty  years  ago,  he  com- 
menced the  publication  of  the  "Bridgewater  Collection  of 
Sacred  Music,"  of  which  he  was  the  principal  editor,  although 
his  name  never  appeared  in  the  titlepage.  The  work  passed 
through  nearly  thirty  editions,  and  rendered  essential  service 
in  improving  the  then-existing  style  of  music,  by  substitut- 
ing, for  tunes  that  were  neither  dignified,  solemn,  or  decent, 
such  as  were  chaste,  classical,  and  sufficiently  simple  to  be 
adapted  to  the  wants  of  a  worshipping  assembly.  Many 
pieces  of  his  composition  obtained  a  wide-spread  circulation, 
and  were  generally  performed,  —  among  them,  an  anthem, 
called  "Lord's  Day,"  and  a  piece,  of  several  quarto  pages, 
beginning  with  the  words,  "  Jesus  shall  reign."  He  also 
published  a  series  of  articles  in  the  "  Boston  Musical  Gazette," 
on  the  history  of  music,  and  wrote  a  treatise  on  harmony, 
which  a  competent  judge  said,  if  published,  "would  have 
done  him  no  discredit." 


134  BRIDGEWATER 

The  success  of  his  efforts  for  reform  were  extensively 
visible,  and  especially  in  the  church,  where  he  was  a  constant 
worshipper.  There  he  was  one  of  the  choir  for  more  than  a 
quarter  of  a  century  ;  and  assisted  by  his  relative,  the  late 
Bartholomew  Brown,  who  was  pre-eminent  for  the  power 
and  excellence  of  his  voice,  and  the  late  Rev.  Dr.  James 
Flint,  for  fourteen  years  the  minister  of  the  parish,  and 
others,  he  trained  it  to  a  degree  of  perfection  in  psalmody 
rarely  equalled,  and  gave  it  an  impulse  in  the  right  direction, 
that  is  felt  to  the  present  day. 

He  was  much  of  an  antiquarian,  as  is  evinced  by  his  well- 
written  "  History  of  Bridgewater,"  which  is  a  monument  to 
his  memory  that  will  endure  for  centuries,  and,  it  may  be 
hoped,  as  long  as  the  art  of  printing.  That  was  a  work  of  vast 
labor.  Its  numerous  scattered  materials  were  to  be  searched 
for  and  gathered  up  from  the  state,  county,  town,  church,  and 
family  records,  and  other  sources,  and  reduced  to  a  system. 
This  he  did  with  great  care,  good  judgment,  and  accuracy, — 
considering  the  peculiar  liability  to  mistakes  in  a  work  of  the 
kind ;  and  has  thus  furnished  the  people  of  the  Bridgewaters 
with  a  household  book,  valuable  now  and  hereafter  as  a 
repository  of  historical  and  genealogical  facts  most  interesting 
to  them  and  their  posterity. 

His  private  character  is  a  model  for  imitation.  He  was 
affable  and  familiar  ;  his  manners  were  simple  and  easy ;  his 
temper  gentle,  even,  and  cheerful ;  and  his  whole  deport- 
ment such  as  to  inspire  confidence  and  respect.  Hospitality 
reigned  in  his  house;  and, cheerfulness  beamed  from  his 
countenance  on  his  happy  family,  and  was  reflected  back  by 
them.  He  was  eminently  a  man  of  peace,  and,  all  his  life 
long,  exerted  a  peculiarly  happy  faculty  he  had  to  promote 
it  in  his  own  neighborhood,  and  elsewhere  within  the  sphere 
of  his  influence.  He  had  faults,  —  and  who  has  not  ?  —  but 
none  which  should  enter  into  a  candid  estimation  of  his 
character. 

It  has  been  said  to  be  as  diflicult  to  compare  great  men  as 


CENTENNIAL  CELEBRATION.  135 

great  rivers.  Some  we  admire  for  one  thing,  and  some  for 
another  ;  and  we  cannot  bring  them  together  to  measure  their 
exact  difference.  But  taking  into  the  account,  as  well  as  we 
may,  all  the  various  talents  and  acquirements  that  combine  to 
make  up  the  whole  man,  I  think  it  may  be  justly  said,  without 
being  invidious,  that  the  old  town  of  Bridgewater,  though 
numbering  among  her  sons  many  eminent  men,  has  never 
produced  his  superior. 

He  has  now  passed  away,  full  of  years  and  full  of  honors  ; 
but  his  genial  face,  his  tall,  erect,  dignified  person,  and  elastic 
step,  will  not  soon  fade  from  the  eyes  of  those  who  knew 
him.  Nor  will  the  remembrance  of  his  life  be  limited  to  the 
days  of  his  contemporaries  :  another  generation  will  keep  his 
memory  green. 


11.  "  To  (he  Emigrants  from  Bridgewater,  who  have  returned  with  their  descend- 
ants to  unite  with  us  tliis  day  in  commemorating  the  memory  and  virtues  of  our 
forefathers,  we  bid  a  most  hearty  welcome." 

12.  "  Public  Schools,  —  the  Arcliimedean  lever  which  moves  the  world. 

13.  "  Duxhury,  —  the  honored  mother  of  Bridgewater.  Though  her  children 
wandered  thus  far  into  the  wilderness  to  plant  the  first  inland  town,  they  look  back 
with  afiection  to  the  Gurnet  Light." 


Hon.  Seth  Sprague,  of  Duxbury,  responded  as 
follows :  — 

Mr.  President,  —  After  listening  to  the  interesting  and 
eloquent  address  of  Governor  Washburn,  the  pleasing  poem 
of  Mr.  Reed,  and  entertained  with  eloquence,  wit,  and 
humor  for  four  long  hours,  it  is  only  to  inflict  pain  and  pun- 
ishment on  the  audience  for  you  to  call  on  any  one  to  speak 
at  this  late  hour.  A  speaker,  who  could  interest  an  audience 
thus  satiated  with  good  things,  must  have  power  equal  to  a 
galvanic  battery  that  would  stir  the  dead.  On  my  own 
account,  I  would  not  utter  a  single  word ;  but,  as  Bridge- 


136  BRIDGEWATER 

water  is  an  offspring  of  Duxbury,  I  merely  respond  to  the 
relation,  and  say,  that  when  Bridgewater,  or  perhaps  a  larger 
territory  than  was  assigned  her,  was  purchased  from  Massa- 
soit,  her  whole  territory,  large  as  it  was,  was  valued  at  seven 
coats  of  a  yard  and  a  half  each,  nine  hatchets,  eight  hoes, 
twenty  knives,  four  moose-skins,  and  ten  and  a  half  yards  of 
cotton  cloth,  —  the  whole  not  worth  more  than  twenty -five  dol- 
lars. Such  was  the  town  valued  at  by  the  possessors,  after  a 
long  period  of  occupation  by  savage  tribes,  and,  from  expe- 
rience, was  not  destined  to  be  increased  in  value  by  their 
mode  of  life,  had  they  possessed  it  until  the  present  time. 
Peopled  by  a  civilized,  Christian  people,  in  the  short  space 
of  two  hundred  years,  the  value  of  this  same  territory  is  more 
than  five  millions  current  money.  Duxbury  had  the  advan- 
tage of  Bridgewater,  in  being  settled  some  fifteen  years  ear- 
lier ;  yet  Bridgewater  has  outstripped  her  in  population  and 
wealth.  I  am  astonished  when  comparing  their  statistics. 
In  1790,  Bridgewater  had  more  population  than  Duxbury 
and  Plymouth,  the  territory  of  Plymouth  being  nearly  equal 
to  that  of  Bridgewater.  At  the  present  time,  the  population 
of  Old  Bridgewater  is  fifty  per  cent  more  than  Duxbury  and 
Plymouth  together.  The  superior  local  advantages  of  Dux- 
bury —  situated  on  the  seaboard,  with  all  the  advantages  of 
coasting,  foreign  trade,  ship-building,  the  facilities  of  transpor- 
tation, the  fisheries,  and  inducements  to  enterprise  and  expan- 
sion —  render  the  superiority  of  Bridgewater  the  more  to  her 
credit.  You  must,  for  the  first  century  at  least,  and  proba- 
bly the  first  half  of  the  second,  have  been  mainly  confined  to 
the  cultivation  of  the  soil.  I  cannot  call  to  mind  any  place, 
with  no  greater  local  advantages,  that  has  advanced  with  equal 
rapidity.  The  soil  of  your  township  is  probably  superior  to 
any  town  in  Plymouth  County.  As  much  behind  you  as  we 
are,  we  rejoice  at  your  success  and  prosperity.  You  have  a 
right  to  be  proud  of  your  position.  I  would  say  more,  but 
ought  not  to  have  said  so  much.  I  will  close  with  a  senti- 
ment :  — 


CENTENNIAL  CELEBRATION.  137 

*'  Old  Bridge  water,  —  daughter  of  Duxbury  and  grand- 
daughter of  Plymouth,  —  the  date  of  her  birth  nearly  co-eval 
with  her  parents.  In  wealth  and  population  she  has  excelled 
them  both ;  and,  though  cut  into  four  parts,  she  is  as  vigor- 
ous and  fruitful  as  ever.  Her  sires,  though  far  behind  her, 
rejoice  in  her  prosperity,  and  wish  you  a  thousand  times  as 
many  as  ye  are." 


14.  "  The  Memury  of  James  Keith,  —  the  first  minister  ordained  in  Bridgewater. 
We  are  this  day  enjoying  the  fruits  of  his  devotedness  to  the  cause  of  civil  and  reli- 
gious liberty." 

Hon.  James  M.  Keith,  of  Roxbury,  responded  as 
follows :  — 

Mr.  President,  Ladies  and  Gentlemen,  —  A  sentiment 
in  memory  of  the  honored  dead  is  generally  received  stand- 
ing and  in  silence ;  and  such  a  reception,  in  the  present  case, 
would  be,  I  apprehend,  a  far  more  eloquent  tribute  than  any 
I  can  hope  to  offer.  Indeed,  the  vocation  of  one  practised 
in  the  strife  of  the  forum  is  little  calculated  to  make  him  a 
fitting  exponent  of  the  virtues  of  him  who  ministers  at  the 
shrines  of  the  temple.  And  yet  there  is  a  beauty  and  moral 
sublimity  in  the  patient  devotion  to  duty,  manifested  in  the 
daily  life  of  the  conscientious  Christian  minister,  which  appeals 
even  to  what  some  consider  the  callous  heart  of  the  legal 
advocate,  in  tones  more  thrilling  than  the  highest-wrought 
periods  uttered  from  the  rostrum. 

The  eloquence  of  such  a  life  was  shown  by  the  Rev.  James 
Keith,  the  first  minister  of  Bridgewater,  for  more  than  fifty-five 
years,  amidst  the  toils,  the  privations,  and  the  dangers  of  a 
colonial  settlement,  in  the  forests  around  the  spot  on  which 
we  are  assembled.  Born  in  Scotland,  educated  at  Aberdeen, 
coming  to  these  shores  in  1662,  ordained  in  1664,  he  con- 
tinued in  the  faithful  discharge  of  the  duties  of  his  ministry 

18 


138  BRIDGEWATER 

till  called  to  his  reward  in  1719.  He  showed  his  apprecia- 
tion of  "  Heaven's  last,  best  gift  to  man,"  by  an  early  mar- 
riage. He  had  six  sons  and  three  daughters ;  and  his 
descendants,  to  the  number  of  more  than  a. thousand,  are  now 
found  scattered  through  the  New-England  States,  New  York, 
Michigan,  Missouri,  and  Minnesota  ;  showing  that,  how- 
ever his  posterity  may  have  failed  of  obedience  to  some  of 
the  precepts  of  the  Decalogue,  they  have  not  forgotten  the 
first  command  given  to  man.  His  descendants  have  been, 
so  far  as  I  know,  an  honest,  industrious,  and  law-abiding 
people.  Out  of  some  seven  hundred  criminal  cases  reported 
in  the  decisions  of  our  Supreme  Court,  only  one  is  found  in 
which  a  Keith  was  a  party  defendant ;  and  that  was  a  case 
in  which  he  had  been  convicted  of  the  illegal  sale  of  intoxi- 
cating liquor,  on  the  testimony  of  a  convicted  thief;  and 
the  Court,  like  sensible  men  as  well  as  learned  judges,  set  the 
verdict  aside,  and  thus  placed  the  family  name  all  right  upon 
the  record. 

The  first  minister  of  Bridgewater  did  not  preach,  nor  did 
his  hearers  practise,  a  sickly  sentimentality,  which  showed 
more  sympathy  for  the  criminal  than  love  for  the  observance 
of  law ;  but  he  taught,  and  they  believed,  in  a  willing  obe- 
dience to  law,  and  in  the  speedy  punishment  of  its  violators. 
They  devoutly  believed  in  prayer,  and  trusted  in  God ;  but 
they  also  trusted  in  their  own  right  arms  to  achieve  their  de- 
fence. When  attacked  by  the  Indians,  whom  they  had  treated 
with  uniform  kindness,  they  did  not  abandon  their  homes,  as 
advised  by  the  timid  of  other  settlements,  nor  trembling  wait 
for  Omnipotence  specially  to  interpose  for  their  deliverance ; 
but,  seizing  their  weapons  with  resolute  hearts,  they  attacked 
the  foe,  and  drove  him  from  their  settlement. 

Judging  the  present  inhabitants  of  Bridgewater  by  their 
past  history,  one  could  wish  that  the  plains  of  Kansas  were 
now  filled  with  them  ;  that  they  might  there  repel  the  hordes 
of  violence  and  oppression,  and  make  those  broad  savannas 
vocal  with  the  songs  of  freemen. 


CENTENNIAL  CELEBRATION.  139 

But,  at  this  late  hour,  I  will  detain  you  no  longer.  I  close 
with  this  sentiment :  — 

"  Civil  and  religious  liberty,  —  the  priceless  inheritance 
left  us  by  our  fathers,  which  must  be  maintained  at  all 
hazards,  and  transmitted  unimpaired  to  our  children." 


15.  "  Woman.  —  She  guides  the  steps  of  childhood,  cheers  the  labors  of  manhood, 
and  smooths  the  pillow  of  age.  To  her  we  offer  the  warmest  sentiments  of  grati- 
tude and  love." 

16.  "  The  Poet  of  the  Day.  —  His  subject  has  inspired  his  Muse ;  and  we  have 
listened  with  delight  to  the  words  of  her  inspiration." 

Mr.  Reed,  in  reply,  said,  Our  friend  Governor 
Washburn  had  remarked  that  he  never  felt  more  at 
home  in  his  life ;  but  he  (Mr,  Reed)  must  confess 
that  he  never  felt  less  so,  surrounded  as. he  was  by 
reverend  men  of  all  professions.  He  then  gave,  as  a 
toast,  — 

"The  descendants  of  Mrs.  Judith  Shaw  [to  whose  memory 
respectful  allusion  had  been  made  at  the  table),  —  the  best 
proofs  of  her  piety  and  frugality." 


17.  'T/ie  Memory  of  Massasoit, —  the  friendly  sachem,  who  sold  the  township 
of  Bridgewater." 

A  representative  of  the  Pokanoket  tribe  made  the 
following  response:  — 

Brothers,  —  I  have  come  a  long  way  to  meet  you.  I  am 
glad  that  our  good  old  father  Massasoit  still  lives  in  your 
memory.  These  fields  were  once  the  hunting-grounds  of 
the   red   men ;    but  they  were    sold  to  the   white    men  of 


140  BRIDGEWATER 

Bridgewater.  The  red  men  have  been  driven  towards  the 
great  water  at  the  West,  and  have  disappeared  like  the  dew ; 
while  the  white  men  have  become  like  the  leaves  on  the  trees, 
and  the  sands  on  the  sea-shore. 

Brothers,  our  hunting-grounds  grow  narrow ;  the  chase 
grows  short ;  the  sun  grows  low ;  and,  before  another  Cen- 
tennial Celebration  of  the  Incorporation  of  Bridgewater,  our 
bones  will  be  mingled  with  the  dust. 

Brothers,  may  we  live  in  peace  !  and  may  the  Great  Spirit 
bless  the  red  men  and  the  white  men ! 


18.  "  The  next  Centennial  Anniversary.  —  May  it  find  the  doors  of  the  old  home- 
stead wide  open  to  receive  its  returning  ciiildren;  its  inmates  contented,  prosperous, 
and  happy ;  and  our  country  at  peace,  united,  and  free  !  " 


By  William  Allen  :  — 


'■'■  Bridgeii'ater,  Somersetshire,  Old  England.  —  Our  friend  and  correspondent: 
God  bless  her !  She  was  the  first  in  all  the  British  empire  to  send  a  petition  to 
Parliament  for  the  extirpation  of  the  slave-trade.  May  neither  she,  nor  her  name- 
sake in  Massachusetts,  cease  her  efforts  in  the  cause  of  truth  till  all  humanity  is 
free! " 


A  sentiment  complimentary  to  Senator  Sumner  was 
offered,  and  responded  to  by  Rev.  Paul  Couch,  of 
North  Bridgewater. 


A  scroll,  of  which  the  following  is  a  copy,  was  cir- 
culated in  the  tent  for  signatures :  — 

"  Other  men  labored ;  and  ye  are  entered  into  their 
labors."  —  St.  John,  iv.  38. 

"  We  who  have  assembled  this  day  to  commemorate  the 
Two  Hundredth  Anniversary  of  the  Incorporation  of  the  Town 


CENTENNIAL  CELEBRATION.  141 

of  Bridgewater,  In  grateful  remembrance  of  the  tolls  and  suf- 
ferings of  our  ancestors,  and  in  the  hope  that  the  inheritance 
they  bequeathed  to  us  may  be  guarded  and  enjoyed  by 
their  descendants  to  remotest  generations,  here  record  our 
names. 

"  West  Beidgewater,  Mass.,  June  3,  185G." 


The  following  Songs,  by  Mr.  D.  W.  C.  Packard, 
of  North  Bridgewater,  were  prepared  to  be  sung  at 
the  table,  but  were  omitted  for  the  want  of  time :  — 


The  glorious  band,  that  brave  old  band, 
Of  honest  heart  and  strong  right  hand,  — 
Oh  !  noble  were  the  deeds  they  dared ; 
And  beauteous,  who  their  danger  shared. 
Their  hallowed  dust  our  hillsides  hold, 
Our  valleys  bloom  above  their  mould ; 
But  their  spirit  lives  in  our  souls  to-day : 
It  lives  —  it  lives  —  shall  live  alway. 

They  found  these  fields  when  the  wolf  was  here ; 
When  through  the  thicliet  leaped  the  deer ; 
When  the  Indian's  council-fires  were  red, 
And  these  peaceful  vales  with  blood  were  fed. 
The  Indian's  hard-fought  fields  are  o'er, 
And  his  council-fires  are  seen  no  more ; 
But  our  fathers'  spirit  it  lives  to-day  : 
It  lives  —  it  lives  —  shall  live  alway. 

For  Freedom  was  their  life-blood  given ; 
In  that  dear  cause  tliey  Ivneeled  to  Heaven ; 
And  Freedom,  from  tlie  dust  they  trod, 
Springs  up  like  verdure  from  the  sod. 


142  BRIDGEWATER 

Their  hallowed  dust  our  hillsides  hold, 
Our  valleys  bloom  above  their  mould ; 
But  their  spirit  lives  in  our  souls  to-day ; 
It  lives  —  it  lives  —  shall  live  alway. 


From  north,  from  south,  from  east,  from  west, 
We  come,  the  sacred  spot  to  bless, 
AVhere  first  our  fathers'  anthems  broke 
The  silence  of  the  wilderness. 

The  place,  the  time,  those  honored  forms, 
Alike  our  recollection  claim ; 
And,  like  the  dove,  she  hastens  back 
To  brood  o'er  each  remembered  name. 

And  she  shall  dress  their  grassy  graves 
With  wreaths  of  amaranthine  flowers, 
And,  weeping  there,  shall  smiling  turn 
To  view  the  blessings  that  are  ours. 

And  long  as  waves  the  golden  grain 
Above  the  plains  their  hands  have  tilled, 
So  long  as  summer  fields  are  green. 
Shall  memory's  cup  to  them  be  filled. 


More  sentiments  and  songs  had  been  prepared  for 
the  occasion ;  but  the  end  of  the  centennial  day  drew 
near,  and  they  were  omitted. 

"  Union,  peace,  and  joy  had  crowned  that  festive  day,"  — 

when  a  vote  was  passed  to  adjourn  to  the  next  Cen- 
tennial Anniversary. 


CENTENNIAL  CELEBRATION.  143 


L  E  T  T  E  li  S, 


The  following  letters,  among  others,  were  received 
from  gentlemen  who  had  been  invited  to  attend  the 
celebration,  but  were  not  read,  for  want  of  time :  — 

From  His  Excellency  Henry  J.  Gardner. 

Boston,  May  29,  1856. 

My  dear  Sir,  —  I  have  delayed  till  to-day  my  reply  to 
the  Committee  of  Invitation  for  "  the  Second  Centennial 
Anniversary  of  the  Incorporation  of  the  ancient  Town  of 
Bridgewater,"  in  hopes  that  my  official  duties  would  permit 
me  to  be  present  on  so  interesting  an  occasion ;  but  present 
appearances,  as  well  as  ascertained  engagements,  will,  beyond 
a  question,  deprive  me  of  that  pleasure. 

Since  the  day  that  Capt.  Miles  Standish  purchased  of  the 
Indians  the  territory  of  your  town,  for  a  miscellaneous  collec- 
tion of  coats,  hatchets,  hoes,  knives,  and  moose-skins,  it  has 
had  historic  associations  connected  with  its  progress,  inte- 
resting alike  to  the  antiquarian  and  the  general  reader. 

My  purpose,  however,  now,  is  not  to  attempt  writing 
a  new  "  Bridgewater  Treatise,"  but  to  express  my  sincere 
regrets  at  my  inability  to  be  present  on  the  od  of  June  next. 

I  remain,  very  respectfully. 

You  friend  and  fellow-citizen, 

Henry  J.  Gardner 

Austin  Packard,  Esq.,  West  Bridgewater. 


144  BRIDGEWATER 

From  Hon.  Edward  Everett. 

Boston,  May  7,  1856. 

Dear  Sir,  —  I  have  your  favor  of  the  5th,  inviting  me, 
on  behalf  of  the  Committee  appointed  for  the  purpose,  to 
attend  the  celebration  of  the  Second  Centennial  Anniversary 
of  the  Incorporation  of  the  ancient  Town  of  Bridgewater,  on 
the  3d  of  June. 

I  am  much  indebted  to  the  Committee  for  the  honor  of 
this  invitation.  Few  towns  in  Massachusetts  are  of  greater 
importance  than  Bridgewater  in  the  early  history  of  the  Old 
Colony,  or  afford  ampler  subjects  for  commemoration  at  the 
present  day.  I  should  have  the  greatest  pleasure,  if  I  were 
able,  in  being  present  on  an  occasion  of  so  much  interest,  and 
particularly  in  listening  to  an  address  from  the  eminent  gen- 
tleman who  is  to  speak  to  you.  Other  engagements,  I  regret 
to  say,  put  it  wholly  out  of  my  power. 

With  the  best  wishes  for  an  agreeable  celebration, 
I  remain,  dear  sir, 

Eespectfully  yours, 

Edward  Everett. 

Mr.  Austin  Packard. 


From  Hon.  Charles  E,  Forhes. 

XoETHASiPTOX,  May  15,  1856. 

My  dear  Sir,  —  I  have  received  your  invitation  to  be 
present  at  the  celebration  of  the  Second  Centennial  Anniver- 
sary of  the  Incorporation  of  Bridgewater,  on  the  third  day  of 
June  next.  Though  born  in  your  ancient  and  respectable 
town,  my  removal  from  it  took  place  at  so  early  a  period  in 
life,  that  I  have  no  recollection  of  the  event.  But,  from  the 
conversations  of  others,  I  became,  during  my  childhood  and 
youth,  very  familiar  with  the  names  and  characters  of  many 
of  its  inhabitants  then  living ;  the  greater  part  of  whom,  in 


CENTENNIAL  CELEBRATION.  145 

the  ordinary  course  of  nature,  are  now  gathered  to  the  fathers. 
But  many  of  their  descendants,  of  those  who  bear  their 
names  and  inherit  their  virtues,  will  be  present,  with  whom 
it  would  give  me  great  pleasure  to  unite  in  the  proposed 
celebration.  My  engagements,  however,  will  compel  me  to 
forego  this  pleasure  ;  but  I  beg  you  to  be  assured  of  the 
sympathy  and  kind  feelings  which  I  shall  ever  cherish  towards 
the  inhabitants  of  my  native  town,  and  towards  the  descend- 
ants of  its  former  inhabitants,  in  whatever  part  of  the  world 
their  destiny  may  have  placed  them.  Accept  for  yourself, 
and  be  kind  enough  to  convey  to  the  Committee,  my  thanks 
for  this  honor. 

I  am,  very  respectfully. 

Your  obedient  servant, 

Charles  E.  Forbes. 

Austin  Packard,  Esq. 


From  Hon.  Israel  Washburn,  jun.,  of  Maine. 

House  op  Representatives,  Washington,  May  9, 1856. 

Dear  Sir,  —  I  have  the  honor  to  acknowledge  the  receipt 
of  your  invitation  to  be  present  at  the  celebration,  on  the 
third  day  of  June  next,  of  the  Second  Centennial  Anniversary 
of  the  Incorporation  of  the  ancient  Town  of  Bridgewater. 

I  should  rejoice  exceedingly  to  be  at  this  "  gathering  of 
the  sons  and  daughters  of  the  four  towns  :  "  for  there  I 
should  meet  my  relations,  and  be  at  home  ;  and  there  I  should 
have  an  opportunity  to  hear  the  eloquent  words  of  the  dis- 
tinguished gentleman  who  does  so  much  honor  to  the  name 
found  oftener  than  any  other  in  the  records  of  Bridgewater. 
But  my  duties  and  engagements  here  will  constrain  me  to 
forego  this  pleasure. 

Respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

I.  Washburn,  jun. 

Austin  Packard,  Esq.,  for  the  Committee,  &c. 

19 


146  BRIDGEWATER 

From  Hon.  Elijah  Hayward. 

McCoxNELsviLLE,  Ohio,  May  26,  1856. 

Dear  Sir,  —  I  have  received,  and  read  with  much  pleasure, 
your  letter  of  the  5th  instant,  inviting  me  to  be  present,  on  the 
3d  of  June  next,  at  "  the  vSecond  Centennial  Anniversary  of 
the  Incorporation  of  the  ancient  Town  of  Bridgewater  ; "  for 
which  I  tender  to  you,  and  to  the  Committee  of  which  you 
are  the  organ,  my  sincere  thanks.  A  temporary  illness  of 
the  last  three  weeks  has  prevented  me  from  earlier  making 
my  acknowledgments.  It  would  afford  me  inexpressible 
satisfaction  to  be  present  at  that  time,  and  to  participate  in 
the  flow  of  feeling  which  must  then  be  exhibited,  and  that 
love  of  ancestral  pride  which  belongs  to  the  instincts  of  our 
nature ;  but  my  previous  engagements,  which  cannot  be  dis- 
pensed with,  will,  I  regret  to  say,  deprive  me  of  that  plea- 
sure. 

Being  a  native  of  the  town,  "  and  to  the  manor  born  "  in 
1786,  and  a  lineal  descendant  of  at  least  nine  of  its  original 
proprietors  and  early  settlers,  —  of  which  your  own  ancestor, 
Samuel  Packard,  was  one,  —  it  is  impossible  for  me  to  be 
indifferent  to  those  impulses  which  must  be  manifested  on  that 
great  occasion,  and  to  those  affectionate  reminiscences  which 
add  pleasure  to  the  recollections  of  by-gone  events.  We 
view  the  past  in  the  sepulchres  of  the  generations  that  have 
lived  before  us ;  we  see  the  present  in  the  conflict  of  human 
reason  and  the  human  passions  ;  and  we  contemplate  the 
unseen  future  in  humility,  as  in  the  will  of  the  great  Creator, 
to  whom  alone  all  time  and  all  knowledge  is  present.  There 
is  not  probably  a  square  mile  of  the  original  eight  miles 
square,  of  the  ancient  territory  of  Bridgewater,  in  which  there 
has  not  been  preserved  some  reminiscent  of  the  first  and  early 
fathers  of  the  town,  worthy  the  cherished  veneration  of  their 
descendants. 

The  motives  which  ennoble  our  nature,  and  the  virtues 
which  adorn  the  character  of  mankind,  in  which  no  taint  of 


CENTENNIAL  CELEBRATION.  147 

vice  ever  intermingled,  were  most  happily  illustrated  in  the 
lives  of  the  first  and  early  settlers  of  Bridgewater,  whose 
example,  now  fixed  on  high,  presents  a  spectacle  of  virtue, 
piety,  and  patriotism,  worthy  of  the  most  lasting  commemora- 
tion. We  should  violate  the  best  feelings  of  filial  affection 
and  gratitude,  if  we  did  not  most  fully  appreciate  the  result- 
ing consequences  of  their  motives  and  conduct. 

But  there  is  another  sentiment  which  must  inevitably 
interpose  itself  upon  the  occasion.  Many  natives  of  the 
town,  who  have  long  been  absent,  will  then  be  present,  with 
sensations  of  another  character.  There  is  no  feeling  more 
pure,  more  chaste,  than  that  which  is  inspired  by  the  multi- 
tude of  the  recollections  of  the  place  of  our  birth,  and  the 
scenes  of  our  childhood,  connected  with  the  virtues  of  our 
ancestors.  The  clime  of  our  birth,  the  place  where  we  first 
experienced  the  sensations  of  pleasure,  and  even  those  of 
pain,  —  "  that  mysterious  attraction  which  draws  us  so  gently 
to  the  first  objects  of  our  views  and  to  the  earliest  of  our 
acquaintance,"  —  possess  a  secret  spell  of  enchanting  reflec- 
tion, a  charm  which  time  sanctifies  to  our  fondest  recollec- 
tions. Even  the  rude,  unlettered  savage,  —  "  whose  home  is 
the  forest,  and  whose  habitation  is  the  shade,"  —  an  alien  to 
many  of  the  ordinary  feelings  and  sentiments  of  humanity, 
venerates  the  sepulchres  of  his  fathers,  and  esteems  his  birth- 
place holy  ground.  It  is  the  triumph  of  nature,  true  to  its 
social  instincts,  over  the  most  violent  passions,  and  all  the 
artifices  and  refinements  of  civilization. 

What,  then,  must  have  been  the  emotions  of  those  female 
Pilgrims,  the  mothers  of  Bridgewater,  when  they  bade  their 
last  adieu  to  the  home  of  their  fathers,  the  land  of  their  birth, 
and  to  all  the  delicate  and  bright  hopes  of  their  youth! 
What  pious  fortitude,  what  religious  zeal,  what  strong  affec- 
tions, what  firmness  of  purpose,  and  what  serene  calmness, 
must  have  set  enthroned  in  their  bosoms,  to  have  enabled  them 
to  forego  so  much,  and  to  encounter  so  much,  for  Christian 
liberty   and    social    peace !      Wonderful  women !    daughters 


148  BRIDGEWATER 

of  a  foreign  land !  mothers  of  a  new  generation  of  heroes, 
statesmen,  and  patriots !  —  your  descendants  —  a  free  people, 
a  nation  prosperous  and  happy  —  cherish  the  recollection  of 
your  exalted  virtues,  and  have  consecrated  them  to  your 
memories. 

I  would,  if  it  were  proper,  present  to  the  consideration  of 
those  assembled  on  the  occasion  the  following  sentiment :  — 

"  The  first  and  early  Fathers  of  ancient  Bridgewater.  —  Their  lineal  descendants 
honor  themselves  by  domg  honor  to  their  memorj-." 

And  I  would  also  present  the  following :  — 

"  The  Mothers  and  Matrons  of  the  oriyinal  Tmcn.  —  While  they  taught  their 
offspring  the  love  and  the  value  of  civil  and  religious  liberty,  they  were  ever  them- 
selves tenacious  of  the  liberty  of  loving." 

With  great  respect,  your  obedient  servant, 

Elijah  Hayward. 

Austin  Packakd,  Esq.,  West  Bridgewater,  Mass. 


From  Hon.  James  Savage. 

To  the  Committee  for  the  Centennial  Celebration  > 

at  West  Bridgewater,  on  3d  June  next.  )  Boston,  May  16,  1856. 

Gentlemen,  —  Very  great  pleasure  should  I  have  in  being 
present  at  the  re-union  of  ancient  Bridgewater,  in  its  fourfold 
strength,  on  the  recurrence  of  its  natal  day  for  the  two 
hundredth  time ;  and  great  is  the  attraction  that  must  reach 
widely  around  from  the  fact  that  an  appropriate  address  will 
be  delivered  by  my  friend  Governor  Washburn.  Yet  my 
situation  forbids  me  to  indulge  the  hope  of  partaking  in  your 
solemnities,  as,  on  that  day,  I  must  be  in  a  distant  part  of  the 
country  ;  and  nothing  is  permitted  me  but  to  express  most 
grateful  acknowledgment  for  your -polite  invitation.  Private 
friendships  would  be  refreshed  by  meeting  such  honored  old 
associates  as  William  Baylies   and  Artemas  Hale ;   but  the 


CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  149 

advanced  years  have  done  much  towards  making  the  grass- 
hopper a  burden,  and  leaving  little  hope  of  being  endured  in 

his  garrulity  by 

Your  most  obliged, 

Jas.  Savage. 

Austin  Packard,  Esq. 


From  Hon.  C.  G.  Washburn,  of  Wisconsin. 

Washington,  D.C,  May  17,  1856. 

My  dear  Sir,  —  It  would  give  me  great  pleasure  to 
accept  your  polite  invitation  to  be  present  at  the  Second 
Centennial  Celebration  of  the  Incorporation  of  the  ancient 
Town  of  Bridgewater  ;  but  my  engagements  here  are  of  such 
a  character  as  to  preclude  me  from  doing  so ;  which  I  much 
regret.     Hoping  that  you  may  have  a  pleasant  time, 

I  am,  very  truly, 

C.  C.  Washburn. 

Austin  Packard,  Esq.,  West  Bridgewater,  Mass. 


150  BRIDGEWATER 


ADDRESS 


TO  THOSE  WHO  MAY  CELEBRATE  THE  THIRD   CENTEXXIAL  ANNITERSARY  OP 
THE  INCORPORATION  OF  BRIDGEWATER. 


PEEPAEED    BY    THE    COMMITTEE    APPOINTED    FOR    THAT    PCKPOSK. 


On  the  third  day  of  last  month,  the  present  inhabitants  of  our 
old  and  favored  town  met  to  commemorate  the  virtues  of  a 
peculiar  people,  the  founders  of  a  free  and  happy  community, 
—  our  forefathers.  This  is  undoubtedly  the  first  instance 
in  which  a  centennial  celebration  of  the  town  has  been  held. 
A  hundred  years  ago,  the  inhabitants  of  the  colonies  were  so 
absorbed  in  the  contest  at  that  time  raging  between  the 
mother  country  and  the  colonies  on  the  one  side,  and 
the  French  and  Indians  on  the  other,  that  little  time 
could  be  spared,  and  little  money  expended,  for  such  fes- 
tivities. 

It  would  be  to  us  highly  gratifying,  could  some  memorial 
of  a  like  day  of  thanksgiving,  held  a  hundred  years  ago,  now 
greet  our  eyes.  Pleasant  would  it  be  to  see  the  names  of 
those  who  might  have  been  the  actors  in  such  a  day  of  rejoi- 
cing ;  to  read  a  recital  of  their  impressions  of  the  past,  their 
condition  in  the  then  present,  and  their  hopes  and  anticipa- 
tions of  the  future ;  and  especially  if  they  had  prepared,  for 
transmission  to  us,  their  expressions  of  interest  in  those,  who, 
at  this  date,  have  arisen  to  fill  their  places. 


CENTENNIAL  CELEBRATION.  151 

No  such  memorial  can  be  found ;  but  we,  from  the  sym- 
pathies of  our  nature,  judging  that,  to  those  who  shall  be 
here  one  hundred  years  hence,  a  word  of  congratulation  must 
be  welcome,  will  with  pleasure  speak  to-day  to  those,  who, 
on  the  third  day  of  June,  1956,  may  meet  to  rejoice  over  the 
past  ,•  who,  in  speaking  of  the  men  of  ancient  time,  will  look 
back  upon  us,  we  hope,  as  a  part  of  an  honored  line  of  an- 
cestry. 

As  we  glance  at  the  past,  and  then  turn  to  the  future,  a 
multitude  of  thoughts  press  upon  the  mind;  and  the  first 
thought  is  expressed  in  the  question.  If  the  change  in  the 
future  be  as  great  as  that  in  the  past,  what  will  be  the  condi- 
tion of  the  inhabitants  of  New  England  a  hundred  years 
hence  ? 

Favored,  indeed,  has  been  our  community,  in  common  with 
our  nation.  When,  in  the  course  of  the  century  just  closed, 
our  fathers  were  oppressed,  and  their  cry  rose  to  Heaven 
for  help,  God  heard  their  supplications,  and  brought  them 
deliverance.  To  an  impoverishing  and  deadly  strife  suc- 
ceeded the  comforts  of  peace.  The  inventive  faculty  of  man 
has  here  found  ample  scope.  All  the  elements  of  the  mate- 
rial world  have  been  taxed  to  aid  in  the  advancement  of 
America.  Inventions  and  discoveries  have  been  presented 
to  view,  astonishing  even  to  ourselves.  It  is  within  a  very 
brief  period  that  lightning  has  become  the  messenger  of 
thought ;  and  information  is  transmitted  through  our  country, 
as  it  were  in  a  moment,  from  centre  to  circumfei^ence.  The 
sun,  with  mathematical  precision,  performs  the  office  of  the 
landscape  or  portrait  painter  ;  while  the  researches  of  science 
have,  by  the  use  of  chloroform,  rendered  surgical  operations 
painless. 

Precisely  forty-nine  years  have  passed  since  the  first  appli- 
cation of  steam  to  navigation  in  this  country,  and  a  little 
more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century  since  it  was  first  applied  to 
land  carriages.  This  powerful  agent,  the  steam-engine,  — 
the  very  "  king  of  machines ; "  superseding,  in  a  great  mea- 


152  BRIDGEWATER 

sure,  the  former  cumbrous  methods  of  locomotion,  and  daily 
applied  more  and  more  to  the  promotion  of  the  various 
branches  of  art,  —  is  revolutionizing  the  country.  Its  future 
results  it  is  impossible  to  conceive. 

Within  the  last  fifteen  years,  the  friends  of  education  have 
been  making  unusual  efforts,  and  we  trust  with  a  good  degree 
of  success,  to  discover  the  best  means  of  educating  the  youth  of 
our  country.  Intense  activity  is  the  great  characteristic  of  our 
community.  The  care-worn  countenance  and  toil-hardened 
hand,  the  hum  of  peaceful  industry,  and  the  reverence 
for  things  divine,  evince  the  causes  of  the  productive  fields 
of  our  rural  districts,  and  the  wealth  of  our  cities.  A  pros- 
perity unexampled  in  the  history  of  any  earlier  nation  has 
attended  ours  ;  and  well  may  the  language  of  the  ancient 
prophet  be  applied  to  us,  "  What  could  have  been  done  more 
to  my  vineyard  that  I  have  not  done  ?  " 

But,  notwithstanding  the  prosperity  of  the  community,  it 
must  be  regretted  that  the  morals  of  the  people  have  not 
fully  kept  pace  with  their  privileges.  The  ordinances  of 
divine  worship  do  not,  from  a  part  of  the  people,  receive  that 
hearty  support  which  the  spiritual  wants  of  our  nature 
demand.  A  portion,  on  the  sabbath,  absent  themselves  from 
the  house  of  God.  While  very  few  openly  oppose  religious 
institutions,  too  many  treat  the  subject  with  indifference  or 
lukewarmness. 

The  cause  of  temperance,  which  has  suffered  ever  since 
the  first  century  of  our  existence  as  a  town,  still  meets  with 
obstacles  to  its  success.  Men  of  wealth  and  influence  do  not 
always,  in  this  matter,  come  with  that  hearty  determination 
to  aid  in  the  exaltation  of  our  community  which  every  true 
patriot  must  devoutly  desire.  For  the  promotion  of  this 
cause,  temperance  societies  have  been  organized  by  indivi- 
duals pledging  themselves  neither  to  use  ardent  spirits  as  a 
beverage,  nor  to  encourage  others  in  the  use  or  sale  of  them. 
We  are  gratified  to  remember,  and  it  may  interest  you  to 
know,  that  one  of  the  first  of  these  in  the  United  States  was 


CENTENNIAL  CELEBRATION.  153 

the  "  Bridgewater  Temperance  Society,"  formed  about  forty  ' 
years  ago. 

At  this  moment,  a  deep  excitement  pervades  our  country 
in  relation  to  the  subject  of  human  slavery.  Liberty  of 
speech,  and  the  "inalienable  right  to  life,  liberty,  and  the 
pursuit  of  happiness,"  are  by  many  openly  denied ;  and  Kan- 
sas, the  very  territorial  centre  of  our  Union,  is  now  the  great 
battle-field  between  justice  and  oppression.  The  question 
now  is.  Shall  Freedom,  with  its  attendant  train  of  blessings, 
smile  upon  those  lovely  fields,  and  thereafter  upon  the  as  yet 
unsettled  parts  of  our  national  domain ;  or  shall  Slavery, 
with  its  legions  of  iniquities,  blast  the  fair  face  of  nature,  and 
struggle  to  reach  the  summit  of  glory,  unheeding  the  conse- 
quent tears,  groans,  and  degradation  of  multitudes  made  in 
the  image  of  God  ? 

For  several  years  past,  great  efibrts  have  been  made  to 
settle  difficulties  between  nations  by  arbitration.  Peace 
societies,  and  a  convention  of  representatives  from  various 
civilized  nations,  have  striven  to  hasten  the  reign  of  the 
Prince  of  Peace  throughout  the  world.  Disputes  between 
nations,  that,  half  a  century  ago,  would  have  ended  in  the 
horrors  of  exterminating  war,  have,  by  such  means,  been 
amicably  settled ;  though  the  heart  sickens  to  think  of  the 
dreadful  woes  inflicted  by  man  upon  his  brother  man,  in 
the  war  just  ended  between  Russia  and  the  combined  armies 
of  England,  France,  and  Turkey. 

The  sabbath  school,  an  institution  established  among  us 
almost  within  the  past  generation,  has  been  the  means  of 
great  good  in  our  immediate  community,  as  well  as  through- 
out our  country,  and  many  parts  of  the  civilized  world. 

Till  within  a  recent  period,  the  ancient  township  of  Bridge- 
water  continued  under  but  one  corporation.  The  large  extent 
of  territory  induced  our  people,  for  greater  convenience  in 
municipal  matters,  to  divide,  in  a  friendly  spirit,  into  four 
sister  towns,  each  retaining  Bridgewater  as  a  part  of  its  name. 

20 


154  BRIDGEWATER 

We  are  still  one  in  feeling,  and  rejoice  in  the  good  old  name 
of  Bridgewater.  May  the  name  of  each  remain  unchanged 
so  long  as  the  Pilgrim  stock  shall  last !  Like  a  watch-tower, 
may  it  ever  diffuse  the  living  flame  of  devotion  to  truth  and 
duty ! 

As  we  with  reverence  now  pass  the  old  churchyards 
where  "  the  rude  forefathers  of  our  hamlets  sleep,"  so  when, 
after  the  lapse  of  another  century,  you  will,  in  the  cemeteries 
on  the  shady  hillsides  of  this  our  old  home,  gently  pass  by 
the  moss-covered  tablets  indicating  our  last  earthly  resting- 
place,  and  as  you  decipher  the  names  of  the  present  actors  in 
the  drama  of  life,  may  you  also  read  on  the  tablet  of  the 
heart  the  records  of  many  lives  that  were  "  long  because  they 
answered  life's  great  end  "  !  While  you  will  look  back  with 
a  smile  upon  the  foibles  and  unmeaning  fashions  of  the  pre- 
sent day,  but  with  respect  upon  all  efforts  to  reach  a  higher 
state  of  cultivation,  moral  and  intellectual,  may  you  realize, 
that,  while  customs  change.  Christian  principle  is  ever  the 
same,  —  that  none  "  ever  hardened  himself  against  God,  and 
prospered  " ! 

As  we  are  writing  these  lines  on  this,  the  great  anniversary 
of  our  national  independence,  the  notes  of  rejoicing  at  the 
good  fortunes  of  the  land,  borne  on  each  passing  breeze,  bring 
to  mind  the  fact,  that  these  municipalities  are  but  parts  of  a 
stupendous  whole  ;  that  the  weal  or  woe  of  one  portion  tends 
materially  to  affect  that  of  all  the  rest. 

The  mightiest  of  questions  are  now  presented  to  the  indi- 
vidual and  national  conscience,  surpassing  any  that  have 
arisen  within  the  memory  of  living  men. 

To  the  welfare  of  yourselves  and  your  successors,  we  look 
with  a  solicitude  we  cannot  express.  In  infinite  wisdom,  the 
Father  of  all  the  generations  of  man  has  concealed  the  future 
from  our  view.  As  on  the  tempestuous  sea  of  life  the  bark 
shall  sail  freighted  with  the  destinies  of  this  people,  may  that 


CENTENNIAL  CELEBRATION.  155 

great  chart  which  guided  the  Pilgrim  Fathers  ever  teach  you 
to  avoid  the  rocks  and  shoals  on  which  so  many  nations  have 
foundered !  And  that  righteousness  which  alone  exalts  both 
individuals  and  nations,  as  it  blessed  our  fathers,  so  may  it 
bless  our  descendants  through  all  future  ages  ! 

William  Allkn. 
Paul  Couch. 
Joseph  Kingman. 
Edwakd  Southworth,  jun. 
Thomas  Cushman. 
Asa  Mitchell. 
dwellet  fobes. 

East  Bridgewatkr,  July  4,  1856. 


APPENDIX. 


APPENDIX. 


"  A  MUSTEE-ROLL  OF  THE    CoMPANT   UNDER  THE    COMMAND  OF    CAPT.  ThOMAS 

Mitchell  (belonging  to  the  Regiment  whereof  Thomas  Clapp,  Esq., 
IS  Colonel),  that  marched,  on  the  Alarm  for  the  Relief  of  Fort 
William-Henry,  in  August,  1757."  * 


Daniel  Pettingal. 
Beriah  Willis. 
John  Bolton. 
Thomas  Carr. 
Robert  Ripley. 
Benjamin  Munk. 
Daniel  Littlefield. 
Jonathan  Randall. 
John  Loring. 
James  Allen. 
Eliphalet  Gary. 
Timothy  Hayward. 
Edward  Packard. 
Elisha  Hooper. 
Robert  Gilmore. 
Joseph  Samson. 
Ephraim  Allen. 


George  Harris. 
Joshua  Willis,  jun. 
Perez  Waterman,  jun. 
James  Snow. 
Jonas  Turner. 
John  Doughty. 
Robert  Leach. 
Henry  Chamberlain. 
Jonathan  Willis. 
Benjamin  Mahurin. 
Henry  Washburn. 
Joseph  Keith. 
Stephen  Leach. 
Eliab  Washburn. 
David  Perkins,  jun. 
Uriah  Richard. 
Abisha  Leach. 


Josiah  Mahurin. 
William  Barlow. 
Amos  Hayward. 
Joseph  Harvej'. 
Isaac  Lee. 
Jonathan  Pratt. 
Josiah  Leach. 
Moses  Sash. 
Matthew  Buck. 
Joseph  Belcher. 
George  Packard. 
Francis  Goward. 
Hezekiah  Mahurin. 
Timothy  Fobes. 
Samuel  Packard,  jun. 
Gregory  Belcher. 
Ebenezer  Edson. 


The  original  "  Roll "  is  now  iu  an  almost  perfect  state  of  preservation.  — June  3, 1856. 


The  following  is  copied  from  "  lio-stou  News-Letter,"  Oct.  21, 
1773:  — 

"  Bridoewateu,  Oct.  13, 1773. 

"  Col.  Edson's  Regiment,  consisting  of  nine  foot-companies  of  this  Town  and 
two  of  Abington,  was  reviewed  this  day  by  his  Excellency  the  Governor  (Hutchin- 
son). His  Excellency  was  met  at  the  entrance  of  the  Town  by  a  immber  of  the 
principal  inhabitants,  and  conducted  to  the  house  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Angier  (John), 
near  the  place  of  parade.  There  were  about  seven  hundred  men  in  arms,  and  a 
greater  concourse  of  people  than  has  been  known  to  have  been  in  the  Town  upon 
any  other  occasion." 


160 


APPENDIX. 


The  Review  was  on  the  "  Common  "  at  East  Bridgewater.  The 
Rev.  John  Angier  owned  and  occupied  the  place  now  owned  and 
occupied  by  James  H.  Mitchell,  Esq.,  of  East  Bridgewater. 


"Muster- Roll  of  the  late  Capt.  Jacob  Allen's*  Company  of  the  First 
Massachusetts  Regiment  of  Foot  in  the  Service  of  the  United 
States,  commanded  by  Col.  John  Bailey;  taken  for  the  Month  of 

February,  1778." 

COMMISSIONED. 

Jan.  1,  1777 Jonathan  Allen,  First  Lieutenant. 

,,         ,,       Jothan  Ames,  Second  Lieutenant. 

„         „ Rotheas  Mitchell,  Ensign. 


Sergeants. 

1.  Amos  Harden.t 

2.  Watson  Babington. 

3.  William  Latham. 

Corporals. 

1.  Daniel  Eamsdill. 

2.  Caleb  Howard. 

3.  Solomon  Couaut. 

Drum  and  Fife. 
1.  Eliphaz  Mitchell. 

Privates. 

1.  John  Bolton. 

2.  X 

3.  John  Clapp. 


10 


4.  Lot  Dwelley. 

5.  Boatswain  Duel. 

6.  Richard  Farrington. 

7.  James  Welch. 

8.  William  Parsons. 

9.  Prince  Hall. 
March  Lewis. 

11.  Thomas  Latham. 

12.  William  Fowller. 

13.  Reuben  Mitchell. 

14.  Jonathan  Mehurin. 

15.  William  Mattris. 

16.  Robert  Robinson. 

17.  Isaac  Houghton. 

18.  Peleg  Pendill. 

19.  David  Poor. 

20.  James  Robinson,  jr. 

21.  William  Robbins. 


22.  Henry  Richmond. 

23.  Rufus  Robbins. 

24.  Enoch  Stocken. 

25.  Enos  Whitman. 

26.  Japhet  Allen. 

27.  Elisha  Curtis. 

28.  Brister  Drake. 

29.  Michael  Fitzgerald. 

30.  Silas  Harris. 

31.  Abraham  Perkins. 

32.  John  Lope. 

33.  Micha  AVhite. 

34.  John  Wilkens. 

35.  James  Ramsdill. 

36.  Sippeo  Solomon. 

37.  Joseph  Semore. 

38.  X  Wood. 


RELIGIOUS     SOCIETIES. 


WEST   BRIDGEWATER. 


First  Congregational,  Unitarian,  founded  1656. 
Baptist  .  .  .  Cochesett  Village,  founded  1781. 
Meth.-Epis.,  Cochesett  Village,  founded  1840. 
New  Jerusalem founded  1847. 


No  settled  minister. 

No  settled  minister. 

Rev.  Edward  B.  Hinckley,  Pastor. 

No  settled  minister. 


*  KiUed  at  the  Battle  of  Stillwater,  Sept.  19,  1777. 
t  Killed  at  Kingsbridge,  N.  Y.,  July,  1781 


}  Name  lost. 


APPENDIX. 


161 


BRIDGEWATER 

First  Congregational,  Unitarian  .  establislied  1716. 
Congregational,  Trinitarian  .  .  .  established  1822. 
Cong.,  Trin.,  Scotland  Village .  .  established  1833, 

Episcopal founded  1747. 

New  Jerusalem founded  1833. 

Catholic House  erected  1855. 


Rev.  John  J.  Putnam,  Pastor. 
Rev.  David  Brigham,  Pastor. 
Rev.  Otis  Rockwood,  Pastor. 
No  settled  clergyman. 
Rev.  Thos.  P.  Rodman,  Pastor. 
Rev.  A.  L.  Roache,  Pastor. 


EAST   BRIDGEWATER. 

First  Congregational,  Unitarian   .  .  founded  1723.  Rev.  Joseph  H.  Phipps,  Pastor. 

Union  Society  of  E.  &  W.  Bridgew.  founded  1826.  Rev.  Philo  B.  Wilcox,  Pastor. 

Trinitarian  Congi-egational founded  1849.  Rev.  Baalis  Sanford,  Pastor. 

New  Jerusalem founded  1834.  Rev.  Timothy  0.  Paine,  Pastor. 

Universalist founded  1834.  No  settled  clergyman. 

Methodist-Episcopal founded  1850.  Rev.  Eli  Strobridge. 

NORTH  BRIDGEWATER. 

First  Congregational,  Trinitarian   .  founded  1738.  Rev.  Paul  Couch,  Pastor. 

South  Cong.,  Trin.,  Campello  Vill.,  founded  1837.  Rev.  David  T.  Packard,  Pastor. 

Porter  Church,  Trinitarian  Cong.,  founded  1850.  Rev.  Charles  L.  Mills,  Pastor. 

New  Jerusalem founded  1827.  Rev.  Warren  Goddard,  Pastor. 

First  Meth.-Epis.  (West  Shares) .  .  founded  1830.  Rev.  A.  B.  Wheeler,  Pastor. 

Second  Methodist-Episcopal  ....  founded  1851.  Rev.  Robt.  McGonnegal,  Pastor. 

Baptist founded  1850.  No  settled  clergyman. 

Catholic founded  1853.  Rev.  A.  L.  Roache,  Pastor. 


CENSUS    OF     1855. 


West 
Bridgewater. 

Bridgewater. 

East 
Bridgewater. 

North 
Bridgewater. 

Total. 

Population  .... 

1,734 

3,363* 

2,930 

5,208 

13,235 

Americans 

1,462 

2.777 

2,633 

4,307 

11,179 

Foreigners 

272 

'577 

297 

901 

2,047 

Unknown 

9 

9 

Under  10. 

434 

820 

477 

1,240 

2,971 

10  to  20  . 

345 

610 

564 

1,030 

2,549 

20  to  30  . 

311 

585 

574 

1.123 

2,593 

30  to  40. 

243 

430 

409 

790 

1,872 

40  to  50  . 

159 

343 

259 

451 

1,212 

50  to  60  . 

108 

236 

231 

298 

873 

60  to  70  . 

80 

184 

158 

170 

592 

70  to  80 . 

36 

108 

53 

71 

268 

80  to  90  . 

18 

30 

19 

16 

82 

90  to  100. 

4 

2 

6 

Age  not  stated  .     . 

13 

6 

18 

37 

No.  Families     .     . 

354 

609 

700 

1,171 

2,834 

No.  Dwelling  Housef 

301 

539 

581 

979 

2,400 

No.  Polls      .     .     . 

437 

750 

810 

1,425 

3,422 

Births      . 

68 

89 

100 

202 

459 

Deaths     . 

31 

41 

30 

88 

190 

Valuation 

$652,880.00 

$1,822,426.00 

$1,206,940.00 

$1,925,378.66 

$5,607,624.66 

Whole  Tax 

4,373.25 

9,246.71 

8,819.69 

13,744.12 

36,183.77 

Raised  for  Com.  Schools 

1,200.00 

2,500.00 

2,500.00 

3,500.00 

9,700.00 

Square  miles     .     .     . 

161 

281-6 

181-7 

19i 

82 1-50 

»  Rxduf 

ivt 

of  441  inmat 

es  of  State  Aim 

shoiisft,  il)<j  pop 

ulation  is  2,922 

21 


162  APPENDIX. 


STATISTICS   OF   INDUSTRY  IN   1855. 


WEST  BRIDGEWATEE. 

Furnaces  for  m.  of  hollo-w  ware  and  castings,  4;  hollow  ware  and  other  castings 

m'd.,  295  tons  ;   val.  of  hollow  ware   and   castings,  §16,900  ;    cap.,  $21,000; 

emp.,  29. 
Manufactories  of  shovels  and  spades,  1  (partly  m'd.  in  this  town,  and  finished  in 

Easton);  cap.,  $10,000;  emp.,  9. 
Establishments  for  m.  of  wagons,  sleighs,  and  other  vehicles,  4;  val.  of  wagons, 

&c.,  m'd.,  $4,680;  cap.,  $1,800;  emp.,  8. 
Cabinet  manufactories,  1;   val.  of  chairs  and  cabinet  ware,  $1,000;  cap.,  $200; 

emp.,  3. 
Boots  of  all  kinds  m'd.,  27,600  pairs;  shoes  of  all  kinds  m'd.,  141,700  pairs;  val.  of 

boots  and  shoes,  $178,460;  m.  emp.,  204;  f.  emp.,  96. 
Val.  of  straw  braid  m'd.,  and  not  made  into  bonnets  and  hats,  $383,95;  f.  emp.,  24. 
Charcoal  m'd.,  6,840  bush.;  val.  of  same,  $1,018.60;  emp.,  4. 
Lumber  prepared  for  market,  189,833  ft. ;  val.  of  lumber,  $2,970.50 ;  emp.,  35,  part 

of  the  time. 
Firewood  prepared  for  market,  985  cords;  val.  of  firewood,  §4,633,50;  emp.,  57, 

part  of  the  time. 
Sheep,  11 ;  val.  of  all  sheep,  $33 ;  avooI  produced,  61  lbs. 
Horses,  144 ;  val.  of  horses,  $9,194.     Oxen,  over  three  years  old,  151 ;  steers,  under 

three  years  old,  21;  val.  of  oxen  and  steers,  $8,821.    Milch  cows,  347;  heifers, 

63;  val.  of  cows  and  heifers,  $13,346. 
Butter,  20,588  lbs. ;  val.  of  butter,  $5,147.    Cheese,  5,590  lbs. ;  val.  of  cheese,  $698.76. 

Honey,  174  lbs ;  val.  of  honey,  $35.34. 
Indian  corn,  192  acres;  Indian  corn,  per  acre,  28  bush.;  val.,  $5,386. 
Wheat,  3  acres;  wheat,  per  acre,  16|  bush.;  val.,  $125. 
Eye,  28  acres;  rj'e,  per  acre,  15^  bush;  val.,  $666. 
Barley,  9  acres;  barley,  per  acre,  19  8-9  bush.;  val.,  $179. 
Oats,  55  acres;  oats,  per  acre,  22  7-55  bush.;  val.,  $791.05. 
Potatoes,  133  acres;  potatoes,  per  acre,  87  bush.;  val.,  $8,703. 
Beets,  and  other  esculent  vegetables,  8  acres ;  val.,  $690. 
English  mowing,  953^  acres;  English  hay,  844j  tons;  val.,  $16,996. 
Wet-meadow  or  swale  hay,  858  tons;  val.,  $8,580. 
Apple-trees,  7,980;  val.  of  apples,  $3,424.50. 
Pear-trees,  356;  val.  of  pears,  $53.75. 
Cranberries,  86  acres;  val.,  §969.35. 
Beeswax,  3  lb;  val.,  $1. 
Establishments  for  m.  of  boot  and  shoe  boxes,  1;  cap.,  §3,000;  val.  of  boxes  m'd., 

$4,000;  emp.,  3. 
Val.  of  vanes  m'd.,  $4,000;  cap.,  $1,500;  emp.,  3. 
Onions,  turnips,  carrot,  and  beets  raised,  1,380  bush.:  vnl.,  §690. 


APPENDIX.  163 


BRIDGEWATER. 

Rolling,  slitting,  and  nail  mills,  4;  iron  m'd.,  and  not  made  into  nails,  1,000  tons* 

val.  of  iron,  $80,000;  machines  for  m.  of  nails,  52;  nails  m'd.,  62,500  casks;  val. 

of  nails,  $250,000;  cap.,  $77,000;  emp.,  207. 
Forges,  2;  iron  m'd.,  70  tons;  val.  of  iron,  &c.,  $10,500;  cap.,  $6,000;  emp.,  20. 
Furnaces  for  m.  of  hollow  ware  and  castings,  1 ;  hollow  ware  and  other  castings 

m'd.,  600  tons;  val.  of  hollow  ware,  &c.,  $40,000;  cap.,  $18,000;  emp.,  30. 
Paper  manufoctories,  2;  stock  made  use  of,  270  tons;  paper  m'd.,  210  tons;  val.  of 

paper,  $30,000;  cap.,  $18,000;  emp.,  20. 
Establishments  for  m.  of  chaises,  wagons,  sleighs,  and  other  vehicles,  2 ;  val.  of 

vehicles  m'd.,  $5,800;  cap.,  $2,000;  emp.,  7. 
Establishment  for  m.  of  soap,  2;  soap  m'd.,  25,120  gals;  val.  of  soap,  $2,540;  cap., 

$1,500;  emp.,  3. 
Tin-ware  manufactories,  1;  val.  of  tin  ware,  $500;  cap.,  $500;  emp.,  2. 
Establishments  for  m.  of  cotton  gins,  1;  val.  of  cotton  gins  m'd.,  $14,000;  cap., 

$30,000;  emp.,  40. 
Boots  of  all  kinds  m'd.,  600  pairs;  shoes  of  .all  kinds  m'd.,  166,000  pairs;  val.  of 

boots  and  shoes,  $125,700 ;  m.  emp.,  55 ;  f.  emp.,  35. 
Bricks  m'd.,  3,000,000;  val.  of  bricks,  $12,000;  emp.,  30. 
Charcoal  m'd.,  63,600  bush;  val.  of  same,  $4,000;  emp.,  20. 
Lumber  prepared  for  market,  900,000  ft.;  val.  of  lumber,  $7,600;  emp.,  30. 
Firewood  prepared  for  market,  2,217  cords;  val.  of  firewood,  $6,651;  emp.,  30. 
Horses,  229 ;  val.  of  horses,  $16,472.    Oxen,  over  three  years  old,  151 ;  steers,  under 

three  j^ears  old,  18;  value  of  oxen  and  steers,  $7,557.     Milch  cows,  444;  heifers, 

51;  val.  of  cows  and  heifers,  $14,228. 
Butter,  25,836  lbs;  val.  of  butter,  $6,459.     Cheese,  6,670  lbs;  val.  of  cheese,  $834; 

Honey,  130  lbs;  val.  of  honey,  $26. 
Indian  corn,  283  acres;  Indian  corn,  per  acre,  29  bush.;  val.,  $8,136. 
Wheat,  1^  acre;  wheat,  per  acre,  16  bush.;  val.,  $48. 
Eye,  57  acres;  rye,  per  acre,  11  bush.;  val.,  $857. 
Barley,  3^  acres ;  barley,  per  acre,  24  bush. ;  val.,  $80. 
Oats,  129  acres;  oats,  per  acre,  23  bush.;  val.,  $1,898. 
Potatoes,  157  acres;  potatoes,  per  acre,  86  bush.;  val.,  $6,786. 
Onions,  1  acre;  onions,  per  acre,  380  bush.;  val.,  $190. 

Turnips,  cultivated  as  a  field  crop,  4|  acres;  turnips,  per  acre,  325  bush.;  val.,  $450. 
Carrots,  ^  acre;  carrots,  per  acre,  416  bush.;  val.,  $62. 
Beets,  and  other  esculent  vegetables,  |  acre;  val.,  $42. 
English  mowing,  1,540  acres;  English  hay,  1,128  tons;  val.,  $20,304. 
Wet-meadow  or  swale  hay,  414  tons;  val.,  $4,140. 
Apple-trees,  9,299 ;  val.  of  apples,  $3,902. 
Pear-trees,  1,180;  val.  of  pears,  $128. 
Cranberries,  14  acres :  val.,  $520. 
Establishments  for  m.  of  shingle  and  box-board  mills,  1;  mills  m'd.,  12;  val.,  $4,000; 

cap.,  $3,000;  emp.,  5. 

EAST   BRIDGEWATER. 

Rolling,  slitting,  and  nail  mills,  1;  iron  m'd.,  and  not  made  into  nails,  1,000  tons; 

val.  of  iron,  $70,000;  machines  for  m.  of  nails,  29;  nails  m'd.,  24,000  kegs;  val. 

of  nails,  $96,000;  cap.,  $50,000;  emp.,  75. 
Forges,  1;  wrought  iron  m'd.,  468  tons;  val.  of  bar  iron,  &c.,  $32,760;  cap.,  $2,000; 

emp.,  6. 


164  APPENDIX. 


Furnaces  for  m.  of  hollow  ware  and  castings,  1;  hollow  ware,  &c.,  m'd.,  100  tons; 

val.  of  hollow  ware,  &c.,  $7,000;  cap.,  $8,000;  emp.,  8. 
Establishments  for  m.  of  machinerj',  1 ;  val.,  of  machinery  m'd.,  $10,000 ;   cap., 

$8,000;  emp.,  10. 
Establishments  for  m.  of  steam-engines,  1;  val.  of  engines,  $51,000;  cap.,  $50,000; 

emp.,  35. 
Tack  and  brad  manufactories,  2 ;  tacks  and  brads  m'd.,  450  tons ;  val.  of  tacks  and 

brads,  $70,000;  cap.,  $15,000;  m.  emp.,  56;  f.  emp.,  12;  no.  of  tack  machines,  76. 
Brass  foundries,  1;  val.  of  articles  m'd.,  $600;  cap.,  $500;  emp.,  2. 
Saddle,  harness,  and  trunk  manufactories,  2;  val.  of  saddles,  &c.,  $2,000;  cap., 

$1,400;  emp.,  2. 
Establishments  for  m.  of  boats,  1;  boats  built,  6;  cap.,  $300;  emp.,  1. 
Establishments  for  m.  of  chaises,  wagons,  sleighs,  and  other  vehicles,  3;  val.  of 

vehicles  m'd.,  $4,000;  cap.,  $1,700;  emp.,  6. 
Establishments  for  m.  of  firearms,  1;  val.  of  firearms,  $1,000;  cap.,  $800;  emp.,  1. 
Tin-ware  manufactories,  2 ;  val.  of  tin  ware,  $4,000 ;  cap.,  $1,500 ;  emp.,  5. 
Establishments  for  m.  of  cotton  gins,  2;  val.  of  cotton  gins  m'd.,  $85,000;  cap., 

$84,000;  emp.,  60. 
Boots  of  all  kinds  m'd.,  3,120  pairs;  shoes  of  all  kinds  m'd.,  442,200  pairs;  val.  of 

boots  and  shoes,  $399,200;  ra.  emp.,  235;  f.  emp.,  134. 
Bricks  m'd.,  500,000;  val.  of  bricks,  $2,500;  emp.,  9. 
Val.  of  snuflf,  tobacco,  and  cigars,  $4,400-;  m.  emp.,  5 ;  f.  emp.,  2. 
Val.  of  mechanics'  tools  m'd.,  $3,000;  emp.,  2. 

Lumber  prepared  for  market,  608,000  ft. ;  val.  of  lumber,  $6,530 ;  emp.,  21. 
Shingles  m'd.,  379,000;  val.  of  shingles,  $947.50. 

Firewood  prepared  for  market,  2,175  cords;  val.  of  firewood,  $6,990;  emp.,  7. 
Sheep,  11;  val.  of  sheep,  $33;  wool  produced,  36  lbs. 
Horses,  214;  val.  of  horses,  $19,250.    Oxen,  over  three  years  old,  104;  steers,  under 

three  years  old,  33;  val.  of  oxen  and  steers,  $6,121.     Milch  cows,  359;  heifers, 

63 ;  val.  of  cows  and  heifers,  $14,246. 
Butter,  22,752  lbs.;  val.  of  butter,  $6,825.60.    Cheese,  4,310  lbs.;  val.  of  cheese, 

$603.40. 
Indian  corn,  209|  acres;  Indian  corn,  per  acre,  30  bush.;  val.,  $7,046.48. 
Wheat,  34  acres ;  wheat,  per  acre,  20  bush. ;  val.  $130. 
Rye,  33i  acres;  rye,  per  acre,  20  bush.;  val.,  $997.50. 
Barley,  6|  acres;  barley,  per  acre,  25  bush.;  val.,  $195.41. 
Oats,  29|  acres;  oats,  per  acre,  25  bush.;  val.,  $371.87. 
Potatoes,  2o2i  acres;  potatoes,  per  acre,  100  bush.;  val.,  $25,250. 
Turnips,  cultivated  as  a  field-crop,  63  acres;  turnips,  per  acre,  300  bush;  value, 

$780. 
Carrots,  4  acres;  carrots,  per  acre,  400  bush.;  val.,  $960. 
English  mowing,  l,314i  acres;  English  hay,  728^  tons;  val.,  $14,570. 
Wet-meadow  or  swale  hay,  510  tons ;  val.,  $5,100. 
Apple-trees,  8,042;  val.  of  apples,  $1,657. 
Pear-trees,  1,021 ;  val.  of  pears,  $173. 
Cranberries,  7  acres;  val.,  $250. 
Establishments  for  ra.  of  boxes  for  packing  boots,  shoes,  tacks,  and  brads,  2;  val. 

of  boxes  m'd.,  $15,450;  cap.,  $9,100;  emp.,  9. 
Establishments  for  m.  of  cap  tubes,  1;  tubes  m'd.,  4,800,000;  val.  of  tubes,  $4,800; 

cap.,  $3,000;  emp.,  3. 
Nurseries,  2;  val.  sold,  $2,000;  cap.,  $4,100;  emp.,  3. 
Establishments  for  m.  of  patterns,  1;  val.  of  patterns  m'd.,  $2,000;  emp.,  1. 


APPENDIX.  165 


NORTH  BRIDGEWATER. 

Musical-instrument  manufactories,   2;  val.  of  musical  instruments  m'd.,  $8,780; 

cap.,  $2,000;  emp.,  9. 
Daguerreotype  artists,  1;  daguerreotypes  taken,  800;  cap.,  $450;  emp.,  1. 
Brush  manufactories,  2;  val.  of  brushes,  $8,000;  cap.,  $3,000;  emp.,  11. 
Saddle,  harness,  and  trunk  manufactories,  1;  val.  of  saddles,  &c.,  $6,000;  cap., 

$2,000;  emp.,  4. 
Establishments  for  m.   of  chaises,  wagons,  sleighs,  and  other  vehicles,  3;  val.  of 

carriages  m'd.,  $5,200;  cap.,  $1,600;  emp.,  8. 
Establishments  for  m.  of  soap  and  tallow  candles,  2;  soap  m'd.,  280  bbls. ;  val.  of 

soap,  $1,120. 
Chair  and  cabinet  manufactories,  1 ;  val.  of  chairs  and  cabinet  ware,  $20,000 ;  cap., 

$10,000;  emp.,  32. 
Tin-ware  manufactories,  2;  val.  of  tin  ware,  $13,000;  cap.,  $4,600;  emp.,  7. 
Boots  of  all  kinds  m'd.,  66,956  pairs;  shoes  of  all  kinds  m'd.,  694,760  pairs;  val.,  of 

boots  and  shoes,  $724,847;  m.  emp.,  692;  f.  emp.,  484. 
Val.  of  building  stone  quarried  and  prepared  for  building,  $500;  emp.,  4. 
Val.  of  blacking,  $8,000;  emp.,  4. 
Val.  of  blocks  and  pumps  m'd.,  $50;  emp.,  1. 
Val.  of  mechanics'  tools  m'd.,  $2,540;  emp.,  44. 
Lasts  m'd.,  40,000 ;  val.,  $10,000. 

Lumber  prepared  for  market,  213,000  ft. ;  val.  of  lumber,  $32,025. 
Firewood  prepared  for  market,  3,348  cords;  val.  of  firewood,  $13,796;  emp.,  60. 
Sheep,  5;  val.  of  sheep,  $10;  wool  produced,  20  lbs. 
Horses,  343;  val.  of  horses,  $29,880.     Oxen,  over  three  years  old,  74;  steers,  under 

three  j^ears  old,  26 ;  val.  of  oxen  and  steers,  $5,760.    Milch  cows,  420 ;  heifers, 

36;  val.  of  cows  and  heifers,  $17,068. 
Butter,  20,075  lbs. ;  val.  of  butter,  $5,018.75.     Cheese,  6,505  lbs. ;  val.  of  cheese, 

$650.50.     Honey,  620  lbs. ;  val.  of  honey,  $155. 
Indian  corn,  216  acres;  Indian  corn,  per  acre,  28  bush.;  val.,  $6,075. 
Rye,  25  acres;  rye,  per  acre,  15  bush.;  val.,  $567. 
Barley,  7  acres ;  barley,  per  acre,  23  bush. ;  val.,  $240. 
Oats,  20  acres ;  oats,  per  acre,  19  bush. ;  val.,  $225.60. 
Potatoes,  310  acres;  potatoes,  per  acre,  90  bush.;  val.,  $27,667. 
Turnips,  5  acres;  turnips,  per  acre,  200  bush.;  val.,  $250. 
Carrots,  i  acre;  carrots,  per  acre,  400  bush.;  val.,  $50. 
Beets,  and  other  esculent  vegetables,  20  acres ;  val.,  $5,000. 
English  mowing,  1,550  acres;  English  hay,  1,266  tons;  val.,  $25,320. 
Wet-meadow  or  swale  hay,  375  tons ;  val.,  $3,750. 
Apple-trees,  7,700;  val.  of  apples,  $3,000. 
Pear-trees,  818;  val.  of  pears,  $100. 
Cranberries,  16  acres ;  val.,  $3,200. 
Beeswax,  100  lbs. ;  val.,  $73. 
Bakeries,  1;  flour  consumed,  200  bbls.;  v:.  of  bread  m'd.,  $5,000;  cap.,  $4,000; 

emp.,  6. 
Establishments  for  m.  of  shoe  boxes,  1:  val.  of  boxes  m'd.,  $1,600;  cap.,  $1,000; 

emp.,  1. 
Val.  of  boot-trees  and  forms  m'd.,  $2,000. 
Peat,  500  cords ;  val.,  $2,000. 
Swine  raised,  526;  val.,  $4,208. 


166  APPENDIX. 


HOUSES   OF  WORSHIP  AND  TOWN-MEETINGS. 


The  first  house  of  worship,  in  ancient  Bridgewater,  was  built  of  logs,  about  the 
year  1660.  It  is  supposed  to  have  stood  near  the  site  of  the  dwelling-house  now 
occupied  by  Mr.  Simeon  Dunbar,  in  West  Bridgewater. 

The  second  house  was  erected  in  1674,  in  the  square  directly  opposite  where 
Major  Jarvis  D.  Burrill  now  lives.  The  dimensions  are  noticed  in  Judge  Wash- 
burn's Address.  The  Building  Committee  were  Nicholas  Byram,  John  Washburn, 
Samuel  Allen,  John  Ames,  Deacon  John  Willis,  and  Goodman  (Samuel)  Edson. 

The  third  meeting-house,  near  the  centre  of  Bridgewater,  —  a  view  of  which  is 
placed  at  the  beginning  of  this  pamphlet,  —  was  built,  in  1731,  on  the  site  of  the 
second.  The  Building  Committee  were  Jonathan  Hayward,  jun.,  Israel  Packard, 
Thomas  Ha3'ward,  3d,  Ephraim  Fobes,  and  Ephraim  Hayward.  The  house  was 
fifty  feet  long,  thirty-eight  wide,  and  twenty-two  high,  and  entirely  covered  with 
shingles.  Eleven  places  for  pews  were  sold  for  one  hundred  and  forty-three  pounds 
ten  shillings;  and,  also,  a  pew  was  built,  on  the  left  side  of  the  pulpit,  for  the  use  of 
the  minister's  family.  The  body  of  the  house  was  furnished  with  long  seats  instead 
of  pews.  The  edifice  was  three  stories  high,  with  two  galleries,  one  above  the  other, 
on  three  sides. 

In  1767,  the  "  balcony  "  was  repaired,  and  a  new  spire  erected  upon  it,  and 
provision  was  made  for  hanging  a  bell  which  was  purchased  the  same  year.  This 
was  the  second  bell  hung  in  the  town,  the  North  Parish  having  purchased  one  in 
1764.  This  building  was  used  as  a  house  of  worship  for  seventy  years,  till  the 
erection  of  the  fourth  house  on  land  bought  of  Gamaliel  Howard,  near  the  orchard 
of  Jonathan  Copeland. 

In  1802,  the  West  Parish  voted  to  give  the  town  of  Bridgewater  the  old  meeting- 
house, the  third,  and  the  land  on  which  it  stood,  for  the  purpose  of  holding  town- 
meetings,  so  long  as  they  should  keep  the  house  in  repair.  The  belfry  was  then 
taken  down,  and  town-meetings  were  accordingly  held  in  that  house  till  the  division 
of  the  town  in  1822.  The  building  was  taken  down  in  1823,  having  served  the  pur- 
pose of  a  town-house  ninety  years. 

The  old  "  Double-Decker"  was  an  object  of  interest  to  persons  of  all  ages.  It 
was  the  great  focus  of  the  several  parishes ;  and  the  exciting  debates  during  the 
war  of  1812,  and  the  amusing  incidents  connected  with  the  house,  are  fresh  in 
the  minds  of  many  of  the  older  residents  among  us.  Soon  after  the  buildmg  began 
to  be  used  solely  as  a  town-hall,  a  magazine  was  built  in  the  north-west  corner  of 
the  upper  gallery ;  and  the  ammunition  of  the  town  was  brought  from  the  "  Old 
Powder  House,"  and  stored,  to  the  great  delight  of  the  boys,  who  used  to  find  here 
ample  materials  for  the  manufacture  of  "  plummets,"  which  were  to  grace  their 
writing-books  at  the  winter  school.  On  the  division  of  the  town,  the  remaining 
warlike  materials  were  distributed  among  the  four  towns. 

The  Selectmen,  for  many  years  previous  to  the  separation,  were  Mr.  John  Willis, 
of  the  West ;  Mr.  Silvanus  Pratt,  of  the  South ;  Capt.  Ezra  Kingman,  of  the  East ; 
and  Capt.  Abel  Kingman,  of  the  North. 


APPENDIX.  167 


Of  the  seven  Town  Clerks,  from  1656  to  1822,  a  period  of  a  hundred  and  sixty- 
six  years,  Capt.  Eliakim  Howard  was  the  last,  having  served  forty-three  years.  It 
■was  the  practice,  for  a  long  series  of  years,  after  the  citizens  had  assembled  in 
town-meeting,  for  the  Selectmen  to  deputize  two  of  their  number  to  go  to  the  house 
of  Eev.  Dr.  Reed,  and  escort  him  to  the  town-house,  where  the  venerable  man 
preceded  the  business  of  the  day  with  prayer. 

The  number  assembled  was  sometimes  so  great,  that  it  was  found  almost  im- 
possible to  declare  a  vote,  on  some  important  qiiestion,  within  the  liouse;  and  the 
company  adjourned  to  the  street,  where,  after  a  careful  array  of  lines  along  the  road 
leading  to  the  north,  the  j^eas  taking  the  east  side,  and  the  nays  the  west,  the  whole 
sometimes  reaching  Mr.  Gamaliel  Howard's  corner,  a  decision  of  the  question  was 
obtained.  The  highest  number  of  votes  ever  cast  in  the  house  was  nine  hundred 
and  six. 

Usually,  after  a  town-meeting  was  over,  the  proceedings  of  the  day  closed  with 
a  wrestling  match :  the  Parishes  challenging  each  other,  frequently  the  North  and 
East  being  arrayed  against  the  West  and  South. 


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